I'd do anything
by Feeling-Grand
Summary: Rigby is afraid. After having constant fights with Mordecai he's scared he's close to loosing his best friend unless he changes. But when a strange force offers Rigby the power to control Mordecai will he make the right decision..? FINISHED.
1. Rigby's Tantrum

**Rigby's Tantrum**

Mordecai and Rigby came out of the shop with big grins on their faces. In their hands were the ultra cool X factor cards.

Rigby was beaming madly, his wobbly arms squiggling all over the place as he held the cards, his mouth gaping.

"Oh MAN, these cards are so HOT! YEAH! Alexandra you beat that Joe! You beat him and take him to TOWNNNNNN!"

Mordecai stopped, looking down at Rigby who was shivering on some sort of sugar rush.

"Whoa man, keel down, I think I can see foam coming out of your mouth."

"DUDE, you don't KNOW how much these cards mean to me! THEY ARE SOOO _AWESOME!_"

"Hmm, hmm." The blue jay replied with a cocky noise, c'mon? Was Rigby gonna seriously say that when he only found out about the show on youtube a week ago.

"Man, why did we even buy these cards? It's like every show lately tries to sell out in every way it can."

"-Oh!" Rigby said, his voice sounding interested as he looked quickly at Mordecai's cards… oh god how he wanted those babies "Then why don't you give Leona to me? Well? Well man?"

He nearly started crawling up Mordecai to get to the cards he was holding but the bird just pushed him off, Rigby crashing to the ground.

"Please, man. I make it my duty to collect everything in case it's worth value one day… I'll always remember the day when I didn't buy that original star wars t-shirt."

"Dude! I don't think we were even born then?" Rigby countered angrily.

"Yeah sure, but that was just an example."

"Hey, you know what we should go see tomorrow?" Rigby yelled suddenly tossing his cards carelessly to the ground "AVATAR!"

"Huh?" Mordecai mumbled lost, where was this going to?

"Yeah man, TOTALLY! It's like this new movie that people think is going to be huge! It opens this weekend!"

"Rigby?" Mordecai said confused, looking down at the ecxited raccoon, "That movie came out like, last year?"

"Ha ha! Don't you try to trick me!"

"No seriously man, I saw that movie last year, it's the highest grossing movie of all time."

"Whoa! So it's like really GROSS?"

"Nooo." Mordecai said crossing his arms, "I mean, it earned the most money ever."

"But… I just heard about it yesterday?"

"W-here?" his friend asked lost, how could Rigby not known about this movie for so long.

"In the paper."

"What paper?"

"-this one," Rigby said barely, holding up a newspaper and Mordecai's eyebrows sunk in pity.

"Dude, that paper is from last year… the movies not even in cinema anymore."

"Well then… WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?" Rigby screamed, jamming a pointing furious finger at him

"-wha!" Mordecai stuttered confused, trying to get away from that judgemental finger "Dude, I thought you knew? EVERYONE SAW IT!"

"GOD!" Rigby screamed, hitting the ground with his hands in anger and distress "WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN?"

"Chill, man!" Mordecai said in a hurry, stopping his friend's tantrum by holding his wrists tight "I think Benson has the DVD, we can watch it at home."

Rigby looked up at him slowly, his eyes red a little as he sniffed and said bravely "Good! Man I can't WAIT to see this!"

He pulled out of Mordecai's grip and started running the way home that instant, the blue jay just staring at his best friend in confusion.

"What the H?" he said in distraught, Rigby's personality was so irritating sometimes that he just didn't get where his friend was at sometimes… he was so dam oblivious that he even forgot his own X factor cards which they had spent all their wages on (cos' they were idiots)

Mordecai picked up Rigby cards with a sigh and carried them with him in a slump heading back to the house.


	2. The Fight

I like writing for Rigby- he's funny

* * *

**The Fight**

As Mordecai just got in the front door he could hear shouts coming from the kitchen as Benson's voice was yelling in an irritated way, making him shudder in hesitation.

"I said No Rigby, you always destroy everything I give you."

"Oh C'MON Benson! I swear that bus crashed itself!"

"Oh God," Mordecai muttered in fear of where his friend's behaviour would take them and he ran into the room quickly, but tried to make it look like he was just coming home.

"Mordecai!" Rigby said with happy childish eyes as he saw his best friend and turned back to Benson saying forcefully "Even Mordecai was there when that bus crashed itself, tell him Mordecai!" he looked at the blue jay winking his eye to get him to play along with his lie and Mordecai just felt a bit bad inside for always lying to Benson.

"Well, yeah… it did,"

"You idiots couldn't even wash the dishes up without breaking every one of them, how do I know you won't scratch the hell out of my DVD."

Mordecai quickly thought up a solution and smiled at the brilliance of it saying fast.

"Okay, fine, we won't touch it but how about-"

"WHAT!" Rigby shrieked in shock "MORDECAI! YOU'D PROMISE WE'D WATCH IT! WHY WOULD YOU LIE TO ME!"

"Okay, first dude, I never 'promised'"

"Did too!"

"And secondly," Mordecai hissed, pulling Rigby away as the raccoon flinched untrusting, "I had a persuasive idea if you'd have let me finish."

"My idea is pretty persuasive too you know!"

"Rigby!" Mordecai yelled furious "I'm only trying to get you the DVD!"

"Look, I don't have time for this," Benson said looking at his watch and started to walk away. Mordecai pulled a desperate face, swirling away from Rigby.

"No wait Benson, listen! Why don't you put on the DVD yourself and we won't-"

But Rigby just suddenly started slapping Benson wildly around his metal centre and Benson looked angrily down at him.

"You guys need to GROW up." He shouted and walked away, slamming the kitchen door closed and Mordecai just stared shocked and furious at Rigby yelling.

"WHY THE HELL DID YOU START SLAPPING HIM?"

"DUDE, I was HAMBONING."

"Hamboning? HAMBONING? I could've gotten you the DVD!"

"Look, if I didn't get him to give it to me by hamboning, then he just wasn't gonna give it."

"Rigby YOU! Y-_YOU-!" _ Mordecai choked in anger and couldn't control himself. He punched Rigby as hard as he could into the arm.

The Raccoon stumbled back startled, rubbing his scrawny arm barely as he stared up at Mordecai who's eyes were so full of rage all he could ask was.

"WHAT DID I DO?"

"Everytime, I tell you not to do something or to let me handle it you ALWAYS _go _ahead and do it anyway and ruin things every time!"

"Well it's your fault anyway!"

"-WHAT?" Mordecai yelled in disbelief.

"If you had just told me about the stupid movie last year then I would've been able to SEE IT!"

"_RIGBY!" _ Mordecai struggled to get out in anger "STOP BLAMING ME FOR EVERYTHING!"

"WELL-!" Rigby screamed but stopped as Mordecai stormed out of the room, leaving him there by himself and he started to groan furious, hitting the walls in fury. Why was it his fault now? Why was Mordecai always yelling at him and making him feel like the bad guy! He wished things could just go back to when they didn't have this dam job! A job was meant to get you money but all of their money was always being used to repay for the damages they did to the house. IT JUST MADE HIM SO ANGRY!

Mordecai just sat in the dingy lounge room, his talons gripping the ends of the arm rest in rage. God, why was Rigby such a child, everything he ever did nearly got them fired and always deducted money from their pay yet he just didn't seem to care.

"What's the matter?"

He glanced up seeing Skips had come in and sat down on the opposite armchair. Mordecai breathed out in pain, saying with a stretched out monotone,

"Rigby…"

"You two are fighting."

"It's not even a fight… it's an argument… he blames me for everything. He's the one that makes it go wrong!"

"You're telling me."

"Sometimes I think every other guy here is a better friend than him… he just doesn't appreciate _anything"_

"Like what?"

"Like he totally forgot his cards and I picked them up and brought them home but when I give them to him, he won't appreciate it."

"Right."

"You know what, Screw his stupid cards- he's probably forgotten he even got them- you know Skips, Screw them!"

And with that Mordecai got Rigby's cards and ripped them in half.

The raccoon stood at the door entrance with his mouth hanging in disbelief. Did Mordecai really do that.

Did he really just tear away his week's wages?

He felt like jumping on the blue jay and ripping his feathers out but he just lowered his eyes in hate and ran out of the house.

Mordecai jumped a little in the seat as he felt a slam from the door but just stared ahead in anger… he clenched his beak together hard and muttered to himself in hate…

"Stupid Rigby…"


	3. Tempting Rigby

**Tempting Rigby**

"Stupid Mordecai," Rigby growled in fury at what his supposed best friend did to him. The blue jay knew how much those cards meant to him so why did he do that? It was TOO far. The raccoon dragged his feet along the dirt as he went further into the woods, his heart beating fast in anger that couldn't be simmered too easily. What the hell was Mordecai even trying to prove anyway? "Oh I'm a jerk that has to destroy innocent ol' Rigby's stuff just cos I'm a jerk!" he said in a deep voice trying to imitate his friend.

"I only wanted to see the movie…!" he cried, grabbing his head and pulling out the fur "Why is Benson always so tight and Mordecai always agreeing with HIM! He's supposed to be _my _best friend- so why would he do that!"

"Gah-!" he growled finally picking a flower and snapping the stem in half. The woods were silent except for his shouts and…

…little did he know that he's racket had drawn the attention of something that couldn't be seen, but heard the upset rage through the branches of the trees. The force gave a smile, though it had no body apparent yet but it's invisible eyes seemed to stare down at the small raccoon, smiling and grinning with evil present in it.

"Man…" Rigby finally sighed, leaning against a tree and breathing depressed… maybe it was his fault.

"I should just apologise and get us back to the bestest buddy stage… I don't wanna fight anymore,"

_Well, why would you do that… when your friend seems quite content always disagreeing with you_?

Rigby jumped in a startle, looking around instantly across the forest… okay was he just hearing things or did he really hear a sneaky male's voice come out of the air.

"Who said that?" he asked fast, glancing his wide eyes to every crook and canny of the enclosed forestry area. He started to breathe fast, pressing against the tree as he could sense something sneaking up behind him and jumped yelping- Ahh!- but it was like all he was looking at was this mass of thick air.

_What's the matter little Rigby… why so scared?_

"What the H…?" Rigby said in utter confusion, looking at the moving heavy air where sound was coming out of, "Did I eat something funky?"

_No Rigby… I'm just a friend who wants to help another friend get better on with his best friend…?_

"Huh?" Rigby blurted out lost. He froze a little leaning back as he felt the air go around him and his small heart beat in a wild freaked out frenzy.

_You think your friend Mordecai is always against you… always messing with you and just causing fights…?_

"Err… no," he barely mumbled scared "I-I mean… it's not like he means it…"

_He's your only friend isn't he… and even he's getting sick of you…?_

"No, Mordecai thinks I'm awesome! Sure we fight- but don't all old friends?"

_Yet you fear that he's friendship is running thin… don't you little Rigby…?_

"Look Mordecai would NEVER leave me… he lov-" but Rigby stopped suddenly, shutting his mouth, realising he had nearly said the L word… "Well… he just, we're like brothers!"

_And even brothers start to distance… you'll be all alone within the next few fights… all alone._

"Well that's not gonna happen cos' there won't be any other fights!" Rigby replied hard and defensive and the small voice cackled, making him feel vulnerable and just plain dumb for saying that.

"Anyway…" he growled, looking around him with low eyes of dislike "What could you do to help my situation, you're just like… I don't know… a fart?"

_Hee, hee… oh I'm more than a fart little Rigby… I am what people call "Control"… and I help control things in nature…_

"Like… what?" Rigby stuttered a little scared now at this dangerous voice that was right in his ear… his spine stiffening in terror.

_Oh, I control the trees… by force of course… when I think a tree has gotten useless I make it destroy itself… it whittles and die… or when a new tree needs time to sprout, I force the other trees to move their branches to let in light…_

"So you're kinda like a good guy?" Rigby said confused but with a little of a dumb trusting smile.

_Oh indeed I am… and I hate seeing such good ol' bestest friends on the verge of separating forever…_

That word… forever… really struck Rigby where it hurt as he gulped and felt his heart ache a little inside… "No…" he whispered almost scared.

_But if you want Mordecai to stay… I could always lend some of my power to you…?_

"What… you mean like control him?" Rigby said a bit confused as to what this meant "But wouldn't that be forcing him to stay my friend…?"

_Don't you already think that he's been forced…? This would just more assure that he'd always stay… and do what YOU want to do._

"Like… I could control him…? But… wouldn't that be taking away his free will?"

_He'd still have free will… but would just do what you ask him… kinda like always doing dares,_

Rigby was silent, his mind slowly thinking about this as the heavy sinister wind whispered in his ear oh so tempting…_Well?_

"No!" Rigby finally said in a rejecting angry yell "Mordecai is always gonna be my friend and is always gonna be there and I don't need to control him to guarantee that!"

He stormed off fast, waving his paws around in front of him angrily as if trying to push the force away, before walking hard out of the forest and the force seemed to smile as it called sweetly in his ear as he disappeared,

_Think about it Rigby… think about it…_

The raccoon stiffened as he stood in the flat grassy grounds of his workplace and just looked silently back at the forest behind him… gulping barely and then walking nervously on home


	4. Awkward Much?

Updated again, yay, I hope you like and believe me the fighting will cease in the next few chapters... or at least simmer down... enjoy!

* * *

**Awkward Much?**

Rigby sighed as he came slowly back into this house, his paw just hanging on the doorknob for a little longer than a second as he walked in nervously… he couldn't help it, when he had stepped out of the forest he had felt strange… weird and almost… scared.

Piff! What was he honestly scared of? He quickly told himself as he stood in the hallway and looked quickly sideways to the open lounge room door, seeing the room was dark except for the glow coming from the TV casting a shadow on Mordecai, he's arms folded as he leaned back not bothered anymore, looking quite sternly at the small screen.

Rigby grinned almost cockily, getting the stupid impression that Mordecai was over the little row and strolled quite confidently into the room, the blue jay's eyes just following him discerningly.

"Yo man, what you watching?"

There was silence after Rigby said that quite in his normal grinning voice and the jay just rolled his eyes, slumping more back on the couch and replied.

"Nothing… just commercials."

"AWW COOL, _commercials…_" Rigby said smoothly and sat on the spare spot, Mordecai sighed and Rigby looked at him confused thinking… man, why was he acting so much like a douche?

"What's wrong my bruder?" the coon asked quickly, confused by the atmosphere of pissiness and Mordecai just looked at him slowly, then back at the TV replying quite honestly.

"I just don't want to be around you at the moment."

"Yeah well sorry, you're stuck with me." Rigby said with an evil acting snigger and Mordecai leaned his head on his talons… practically ignoring him.

"God Mordecai! I said I was sorry!"

"What? When did you ever say that?" the bird countered in epic confusion, his brow burrowing angrily.

"I-It's not like I'm the one that should be sorry anyway! Man, you should have told me about the movie!"

"Rigby, why are you trying to start a fight!" Mordecai replied angrily, leaning a little off the lounge as if getting ready to depart.

"I just can't stand you being pissed at me!" Rigby said blankly but just sounded like he was yelling abusively at his friend who wasn't doing anything.

"I'm…" the jay stopped, seeming almost to grind his teeth as he continued "Not mad at you…"

"Well now you're just lying!"

"JESUS CHRIST MAN! What do you want me to say that you won't just yell objectively back at?" Mordecai yelled getting so frustrated that he had gotten completely off the couch and was clenching his talons so tight as if trying to repress anger.

Rigby stared up at him, his eyes stern and he didn't even know why, why he was so angry at Mordecai's attitude or why they were having such darn relation problems lately.

"Look, I'm sorry man," Rigby finally said with a breath out… just trying to act calm and nice and that he wasn't being a baby "Let's just watch some telly? Let's look at some hot birds!"

"I think… I'll just go to bed…" Mordecai replied barely, not even looking at the coon as he walked with a deadness to the door and Rigby lowered his eyebrows down in an arch pathetically saying almost ordering.

"Stay Mordecai."

"Dude, I'm exhausted…" he responded… but it sounded like he really wanted to leave his friend's presence.

"Mordecai stay." Rigby said even harder… he hated the semi silent treatment and the way the coon spoke almost sounded like a threat as Mordecai turned half around confused and just replied quite blunt and annoyed.

"_No?_"

Rigby stared at him, his eyes still but shimmering from the television light and Mordecai stared back at him in silence… their unwanted dislike for each other slicing through the air between them like a knife.

Rigby didn't know why he felt this way… this annoyance and dam vehemence for the jay at this very point in time… all he was asking was for him to stay with him, how were they going to get rid of all the bad vibes unless they pushed through it by bearing it out.

Mordecai had another feeling at that moment.

He felt like Rigby really was being a baby, a child and just dam intrusive… if the coon had any respect for him, he'd just leave it… Mordecai knew himself that he'd just sleep the bad mood away and in the morning he'd be grand again… surely Rigby had learnt that about him by now?

Their shimmering eyes stared at each other in dead silence… the sound from the TV only barely murmuring in the background before Mordecai said quite distantly.

"See you in the morning. Rigby."

Rigby pulled his lips back in almost anger… why couldn't Mordecai stand to be around him… and really, why couldn't anyone… ?

Friends always stuck together, always worked through fights and without realising he had drifted his eyes down in sorrow. He shot them back up saying barely in an almost desperate voice,

"Mordecai-?"

But he was alone in the room… the room was a silent dark prison and he turned to the TV, breathing almost gaspingly in rage and upset as he said to himself hurt with shaken emotions…

"He left…"

He felt like a total piranha… like he was not worth it.

What was up with Mordecai? Why was he holding a stupid grudge? And what was wrong with him? That no one couldn't STAND him? He hated it... hated feeling this dislike for even himself that he wished if he could, just go and be someone else for a change.

Someone more likeable. Someone that people would actually fight to be around.

When really the only person he wanted to hang out with him was Mordecai… and it actually hurt in his heart again that if he did keep fighting with his oldest friend… he really would possibly loose him forever.

"Don't think that stupid Rigby." He hissed at himself, his hand reaching up nearly to hit himself out of this infantile self-pity. But as the paw was about to strike him to tell him to cop on, he could hear a giggle,

A soft giggling in the air of that voice and he swallowed… the words being remembered in his head, _think about it _…

His eyelids lowered slowly as he looked at the darkness of the room and whispered almost scared to ask… "would it be… that _bad_?"

YES, it would.

A part of his brain almost yelled this suddenly… maybe it was his self-conscious… but he grabbed his head angrily and hissed almost in pain "I'm not listening!"

It could have been to the sneaky voice… or it could have been to his conscious… he didn't know.

And he glared desperately to the screen… ignoring everything as hard as he could as he looked at the images that flashed needlessly before his eyes.

Muttering incoherent words of reassurance, the night passing quietly by…

* * *

Yeah, finished chapter 4! I hope you liked, that's all and I think this might turn M rating later on...


	5. Acting Normal

**Acting normal**

When Rigby did wake that morning, he felt wrecked and ache all over his small body… he turned over to his side moodily but hit the ground hard waking him up fast as he stared annoyed at the ceiling from the carpet.

"Jesus!" he said pissed as he bent his back up into a hurting sitting position and saw the yellow sun shine in on him strikingly hard, blinding his eyes nearly "Aww man!" he yelled, covering his burning awakened eyes with his hands and stumbled up onto his feet, walking clumsily to the kitchen where he managed to pull out a seat on just luck and sat on it, leaning his head in his hands as he rested in a mood on the table.

"You know, I'm not paying you two shits to just sleep around all day."

Rigby glared up hating that voice as he saw Benson next to the counter, a cup of coffee in his hands.

"Yes?" he replied quite annoyed and dragged himself off the seat, his hands scraping along the ground as he went to pour himself a cup of coffee too.

"Do you know what time it is?" Benson asked irritated.

"Err… midday?"

"One o clock. This isn't like a frat house, your shift started at ten."

"SOR- RY!" Rigby replied annoyed at this constant negative stream that the gumball machine spilt out "Me and Mordecai will start working in a second."

"It's Mordecai and I, idiot!"

"Fine, you work with him! I don't care!" Rigby yelled, taking a big sip of his coffee but spit it out fast as it scalded his mouth. He looked up instantly to see he had got it all on Benson who was glaring at him in rage "Sorry man."  
"You're paying for this!"

Rigby clenched up in anger, nearly popping a vein as he felt like shouting 'with what money?' but replied in a high snarl,

"Fine."

"Hey,"

Rigby turned around quickly hearing that mellow voice and almost felt happy as he saw Mordecai stand at the doorway, his feathery hands resting tiredly on his waist.

"Hey dude!" Rigby said in the speed of light, a relieved smile forming on his mouth and the jay walked over quite peacefully to the coffee pot, getting a cup and drinking some slowly.

"Why weren't you up earlier?" Benson asked slow and deadly.

"Err, jeeze, my clock never went off… sorry Benson."

"Well you two better start tending the backyard fast."

"Can we like, eat breakfast first…?"

Benson stared at him suspicious almost, as if thinking whether to submit trust but finally gave a small cautious nod and walked out of the room in a stern march.

Rigby looked at Mordecai, a smile rising on his lips as he asked quickly in amaze,

"How do you do that man?"

"I don't know… by not shouting I guess,"

"Heh heh, yeah…" Rigby chuckled barely and watched as the jay went over to the fridge, getting out milk and then cereal from the cupboard.

"Do you want me to-?" Rigby asked his hands pointing to the cutlery cupboard,

"Err sure," Mordecai replied and the coon smiled nervous, getting out two bowls and nearly running to the table, placing them down.

Rigby was almost scared to bring up anything about their fight… was there even any point when Mordecai seemed to have forgotten about it and he thought quickly looking up… nah, let's just leave it… everything that happened yesterday didn't seem to matter anymore really.

"So how'd you sleep?" Rigby asked trying to start an interesting conversation.

"Grand…" Mordecai replied, looking into thin air as if thinking of something and then glanced up at the coon, his voice sounded worried "you never came into the room last night…?"

"Oh, nah… I kinda fell asleep on the couch."

"That must have been awkward?" Mordecai said with a grin.

"Yeah, I feel like my muscles are all knotted up."

"Well at least we'll have fun mowing the lawns."

Rigby blinked confused and quickly looked at his friend, but saw the sarcastic smile and smiled back laughing.

"Oh yeah, totally."

Mordecai chuckled and poured the cereal and milk into the bowls, pulling his over and leaned his chair back so he could pull open a draw and take out some spoons. He threw one to Rigby who caught it with a smile and the two started eating their breakfast in silence.

Rigby felt good, this felt like normality, this felt like mutual likeness and he felt like he wasn't the one that was being hated by everyone… Mordecai didn't hate him, there was no way of that, and the two were going to spend a fun filled chilling day together like they did every day. He glanced up at his best friend who was eating in peace and smiled in relaxation, rolling his eyes at all the imaginary problems he had had yesterday.

The two stood out in the lawn in five minutes, Rigby already hating the day that lay ahead- okay, well this was gonna be fun… he'd much rather be playing video games with Mordecai than fecking doing the lawn.

"Okay, I'll get the lawnmower," Mordecai said and started to depart but Rigby reached his hand out fast saying quickly as if questioning.

"Well, Mordecai! I don't know… why don't we like play a game or something?"

"Rigby," he replied as if not even understanding why he _had_ to reply to this "We have to do some work?"

"Do we? I mean… the yard _could _go another few days without being cut?"

"I… guess?" Mordecai said slowly thinking the tiniest bit about the fact "But if Benson sees us slacking off he'll throw a fit."

"And I'm not saying he _will _see us, let's get of here and go… fishing."

"Fishing?" the bird said in surprise that Rigby even knew what that was? The raccoon nodded his head fast grinning, "But that's really… boring?"

"Really? Even boring with _beer_ and _electricity_?"

"Dude?" Mordecai asked but had a smile slipping.

"C'mon, let's go FISHING!"

"Okay, but we don't have any fishing lines?"

"That doesn't matter! We can use our hands!"

"Hey… I think Margaret might have some fishing equipment?"

Rigby's heart seemed to stop for a moment as he heard his friend say this girl's name… it wasn't like he hated her or anything, but she just seemed to be an obstacle that really could easily be avoided so why was Mordecai bringing _her_ up? He looked at the bird slowly, he really didn't want to stop by at her workplace, there was no need to even see her.

But as he saw Mordecai's eager face he felt almost annoyed but knew he shouldn't really do anything that'd piss him off so much,

"Sure man…" he said finally with a sigh "Do you think Benson will notice the golf buggy gone?"

"We can't take the golf buggy if we're meant to be doing work, stupid."

"Uhrrr…" Rigby groaned, dropping his head forward.

"C'mon, let's start walking."

He looked quickly up seeing Mordecai had already started strolling off towards the town and groaned a little more… this seemed pointless when the lake was only in the woods. Yet they were going to walk all the way across the park just to get some equipment and then walk _all _the way back to their house.

Rigby sighed, following Mordecai in a slump and his friend giggled seeing Rigby's lack of enthusiasm.

"Man, it looks like you need COFFEE."

"I burnt my mouth on some this morning."


	6. The Girl

**The Girl**

"Oh c'mon…" Rigby groaned as he followed the tall bird in front of him down the footpath. This was not fun, how could Mordecai really make him suffer for something that wouldn't even help them in the end catch any fish, they REALLY would've had more luck just using their hands… or paws and wings as they so happened to possess.

His feet marched one step in front of the other with his ringed eyes just staring blankly ahead- but a wing suddenly swooped down making him bump into it and Rigby glared up as Mordecai looked across the road at the cars flying by.

"Watch where you're going dude, you don't wanna get squished do you?" Mordecai chuckled and Rigby smiled a little hearing the tone of concern.

"Sorry man," he said with a fumble as he looked out to the wide road with colours whooshing by of the cars and waited for Mordecai to take a dive in, as his wing was still blocking him like he was a little child that needed to be taken care of.

"Okay- let's go."

The two crossed the road in a sprint as a space had presented itself and Rigby laughed out of breath making it, he leaned against the building's wall, looking back at the traffic as if mockingly.

"Ha, look at those losers stuck in that jam… see that's why we don't have a car, Mordecai."

"Yeah…" Mordecai said with a grin "That's the reason." He bent down looking at Rigby's gleaming cheeky face and responded with a grin "Not the fact that we can't even afford a tire."

"Well yeah… that too, but you know what we can afford."

"What?"

"COFFEEE!"

"YE-AH!" the two waving their arms in the air hooting before Mordecai blinked holding one of his feathers up pausing Rigby "Hold on, just wait…" He looked at the few coins they had and gave a relieved smile "Yeah, we should have enough for coffee."

"What? I was only joking, I'm not really thirsty."

"Why?" Mordecai said teasingly as they walked into the coffee shop "Afraid it'll burn you again?"

"Please…" Rigby muttered annoyed as he folded his arms, the door slamming shut behind him "We don't need coffee because we're going fishing, duh?"

"Oh yeah!" Mordecai said suddenly realising that "I'll go ask Margaret for the gear."

"Good."

The blue jay walked off all giddily and Rigby just crossed his eyebrows annoyed.

Oh c'mon? Margaret wasn't as great as Mordecai was making her out to be… if anyone was to truly ask Rigby what he thought of her he'd honestly describe her as… bland? Seriously though, yes the chick was hot and had nice girl pecks but her personality was so flipping plain he couldn't even hold a decent conversation with the girl if he tried.

He looked up with a smile as he heard Mordecai coming back but his lips quickly sunk as he saw two cups of coffee.

"Aw man, seriously?"

"C'mon dude, let's just have a small pit stop?"

"Pit stop…" Rigby groaned to himself and added angrily under his breath "The fishing was the pit stop."

As he glanced up again he already saw Mordecai was sitting at one of the tables drinking quietly and Rigby groaned mercilessly as he dragged himself over, sitting dead next to the bird and pulling the other cup over to himself.

"How are you two enjoying the coffee?"

Rigby blinked up quickly as he saw Margaret standing before them with a kind smile on her face and a pot full of more piping hot liquid.

"Oh," Mordecai said quickly nervous but a smile rose shaking a little "It's great… much better than the coffee I have at home."

"Yeah…" Rigby snarled in a fowl annoyed mood "No coffee beats THIS place."

He felt a hard nudge from Mordecai's elbow and frowned, resting his head bored on his paw.

"Well, we do get it from this special place," Margaret said still with her innocent smile.

"What the GROUND?"

"Dude…" Mordecai hissed with an irritated scratchy voice.

"Heh heh, no…" Margaret said with a giggle "Well yes… but these beans are actually grown in the Amazon."

"Wow, that's so amazing…" Mordecai said looking at her with dreamy eyes.

"Actually by buying these beans we actually help them reserve some of the rain forest."

"AH HA HA HA HA HA!" Rigby suddenly burst out laughing, coffee streaming down his face and the two birds looked at him confused.

"Err… what's so funny?" Margaret asked confused.

"Err- nothing." Rigby said quickly as he saw Mordecai's angry fuming face and whispered innocently "I thought she was making a joke…"

"So what you two doing after this?"

"Wait." Rigby said pulling a face of disbelief as he looked at his tall friend and said slowly "YOU haven't asked her yet."

"Asked me what?"

"Oh," Mordecai chuckled nervously seeing Margaret's curious face and reached his wing behind his head laughing to hide up his embarrassment, "Just, if you'd lend us some fishing gear? You said once that you do it sometimes."

"Oh sure." Margaret said with a gleam- as if surprised Mordecai actually listened to her mundane activities "Actually my break will start in ten minutes, do you guys think you could wait till then and then we can head to my apartment to get the stuff."

"Well, BENSON said we have to-"

"YES." Mordecai said like lightning and Rigby opened his mouth in disbelief that they had to spend even longer at this boring white coffee shop with this _boring _GIRL.

"Cool, well I better check on the other customers." She said and Mordecai sighed dreamily as he watched the pink robin walk away.

"There's only one other guy here..?" Rigby commented confused.

Mordecai's gazing eyes drifted slowly off the robin, eventually landing on Rigby and his expression went quickly blank as he saw the pissed off face of his small friend.

"What?"

"Ten MINUTES Mordecai?" Rigby yelled and Mordecai's eyes widened as the voice was so loud and rude it made the other guy in the shop look up.

"Dude!"

"And then we have to walk another ten minutes to her place and we'll probably spend half an hour there as well!"

Mordecai literally had to swoop his hand over the coon's mouth to stop the yelling as he whispered quickly,

"-So? What's wrong with that?"

"THIS IS WHAT'S WRONG." Rigby said spitting out feathers as he glared at his friend upset "Today was meant to be just our day- but you had to go ahead and include Margaret anyway- Didn't you!"

"Could you keep it down! Margaret might hear you-!"

"I DON'T CARE!" he yelled "Why…?" Rigby asked finally begging to know as he shoved his friend off and had angry tears in his eyes "Why do you always have to have her around."

"You know I like her- what are you trying to say?" Mordecai said confused but also getting angry "That I should spend all my time with just you?"

"Yes!"

The bird froze… he couldn't believe it.

That Rigby would reply with something so selfish… so inconsiderate and so excluding in trying to make any new friends in their boring lives -Mordecai stood up stiffly, looking at Rigby's angry upset eyes but replied cold and hard and fed up with his constant self-absorbed attitude.

"You know something. You DON'T control me…"

He stormed off there… with cold hard steps and Rigby just sat at the table… the coffee slowly steaming and the coon just looked down to his puddle of tears seeing the reflection of a jackass… an idiot… someone who truly was going to die alone and he slammed his paw into the water… shaking with anger and heartache.

_Don't you already think that he's been forced…? This would just more assure that he'd always stay… _

He could hear it… that sly cunning voice and Rigby looked around the white room… everyone had gone and a wind was whispering in his ear _All it takes is a yes…? And Mordecai will always be with you… and do what you want…_

His time was running out on this friendship… Mordecai was going… always going further away and leaving him- stuck- here- in this CRAPPY world… wanting to be around MARGERAT but not around him… it wasn't his fault… yet he knew it was-

_It's no one's fault… and it never has to be…_

_One word… you know what it is…?_

"…Yes."

Rigby grabbed hold of his hot cup as the tables started shaking- The windows chattering-the lights blinking on and off-and he breathed in scared- yet not afraid-

He had made the RIGHT _CHOICE._

The force seeped in through his mouth… going through his pumping blood and making him feel light as a feather… filling up with air before Rigby gasped in slight pain, his eyes clenching shut.

Before everything… grew silent

"…See you later Rigby…"

He opened his ringed eyes slowly… Mordecai had given him one slow angry look before leaving the building with Margaret and…

…Rigby wasn't sure what had just happened. He twisted his neck around seeing the two birds head off, his heart silent.

"-Ahh!" he yelped. He let go of the scalding cup, bringing his hand up to his face to see that his fingers were badly burnt… as if he'd been holding onto the cup for… ages?

The voice was gone… there was nothing haunting him anymore… he sat there.

Thinking of his best friend and whispered sadly…

…his heart aching in loneliness,

"Come back…"

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**Update... took like two months but I updated. So yay to me, and if you liked it then review. Ciao!**


	7. Rigby's Time Alone

**Note: If my last chapter seemed a bit off in what's been happening in the show I apologize, I hadn't watched any episode from the second season. I have now watched up to "Dizzy" and will be watching the newest one "My Mom" as soon as I can. But Anyway, Enjoy!**

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**Rigby's Time Alone**

He sat there silently… just thinking.

Had something really happened a few minutes ago? The shop looked the same, the other customer still drinking his cappuccino slowly… the smell of coffee beans floating in the air and Rigby… sitting on his bench, his arms shivering and his face lost in thoughts- thoughts he wanted to bloody extinguish by now for thinking always led to negativity and he was feeling negative as hell.

"Huhuhuuhh…" he sighed eventually, sliding his elbows off the table as his feet hit the ground, ready to just walk home… alone. Man, he hated being down on himself, it wasn't the most fun feeling in the world to have and he would snap himself out of it at this very moment… IF ONLY HE KNEW HOW.

"Well… at least that farty voice is gone and not NAGGING me anymore." He grumbled as he walked in deadness out of the shop and looked outside to see clouds had accumulated above him, little drops of rain splashing lightly on the cement.

"Great…" he mumbled with a rigid annoyed nudge to the side of his mouth and he breathed out hard walking with a dropped head back to the park.

_I could go to Margaret's I guess? _

He shook his head briskly disregarding that thought… Mordecai did not want him around at the moment… and he really didn't want to piss him off even more than what he'd already done so the coon just dropped his shoulders down and continued on in the rain, his fur getting damper the heavier the rain fell.

Puddles emerged around him with splashing coming continuously from the pouring water and he started to wonder why the heck he didn't wear shoes, his feet wet and cold.

As he arrived at the entrance to the park he sighed… looking at the damp muddy grass and the dark grey sky.

"I thought this was _summer_?" he said angrily as he felt every inch of him covered in water and he held his sides starting to freeze in the rain, running through the fields, his feet getting covered in muck.

He finally reached the house and clutched the doorknob desperately swinging the door opened and slamming it shut as soon as he hit the carpet inside.

"Oh dear!"

He blinked his eyes quickly as he saw Pops sitting on one of the steps on the staircase with a face of astonishment.

"My, you are quite soaked indeed, poor Rigby." He said in his high voice, his long skinny arms holding his knees in a slight innocent crouch.

"Err… yeah," Rigby said as he stepped away from the door some more and quickly shook his whole body ferociously, the water swishing off in a wave and hitting Pops , making the jolly lollypop man giggle sheepishly "-Ah hoo hoo hee HA HOO!"

Rigby stumbled back a little coming to a halt and dropped his slightly drier arms down to his sides, about to walk on into the kitchen but felt a poke on his shoulder and twisted his head around, Pops's arm sticking out from the stair rail touching him.

"Yeah Pops?"

"Well, not my place to say…" he said shyly but looked around the hall at all the dampness "But I fear Benson might throw a lollypop hurricane if he sees the magical watery mess you've made in here?"

"Urgh!" Rigby groaned in annoyance as he looked at the wet room "Yeah- I'll do it later- just remind me."

"How much later? You see I have a special tea party to attend with Miss Googly Bop in a short while."

"Oh I DON'T know…" Rigby said angry- though more at himself for causing a mess to begin with "In an hour."

"Oh yes! I shall!" Pops said gleefully and looked at his watch giggling "So that should be in five hundred lollypop licks! I shall see you then!"

"Ay, yeah- GOOD!" Rigby said trying to smile but it looked forced and annoyed and he trudged in a sigh to the kitchen, getting a banana from the fruit ball and peeling it with a heavy depressed breath.

"Huhhuuhhuh…"

He bit off the top and chewed it slowly, breathing out softly through his nose as he looked quietly out the window, seeing a slight breeze had picked up outside as the trees were swishing a little back and forth from the wind.

"Man…" he said a little concerned as he walked into the lounge room and stared out to the park from the window, "I hope Mordecai gets home alright."

"But then again…huuhuh." He sighed stretching his hand down his face "What can I do…? I mean… I HAD TO GO MESS EVERYTHING UP AGAIN? Didn't I?"

He slid his head down the glass in a dramatic depression, the banana being held loosely in his hand as he moaned in stupid self-brought on sorrow.

He had nothing to do to take his mind off of Mordecai- even this _banana _wasn't working- it just tasted sour in his mouth.

Mordecai wouldn't be home for hours… why didn't he just go to Margaret's? _Why? _At least he would've had Mordecai to hang out with? Why did he make such a fuss? Why does he always make such a fuss? Why did he always make his own problems? The movie- the fight- the girl- the hallway- ALL HIM.

"Come on man!" he said annoyed now that he was allowing himself feel this way, _You're 23? Just do something once that actually helps!_

"Hmm!" He grunted pushing up from the glass and standing tall, "I'LL DO… something…" he said slowing down a little hesitant at the thought "I'll… … _WORK_."

He threw his banana down to the ground, determination being forced onto him and he stormed to the kitchen, getting a mop, bucket and cloth and stomping to the hallway. He slammed the soapy bucket to the ground, water tipping off the edges and whammed the mop into it, cleaning the carpet- suds falling everywhere- determined to get the mud stains off and fix up the room- fix up himself.

But after he had strained and drained the room so it was soaky clean he felt… he f-felt- GOD- He felt fecking nothing.

But at least he had done something productive for once with his time. At least all the anger and frustration had gone to better use than just wasting it on thinking.

"Hey… that's right?" Rigby said realizing this, _If I just- WORK- I should… be able…to- not think…?_

The left side of his face started to rise in a smile and he snickered, going into the kitchen and over to the sink. His eyes rolled slowly to the dishes- seeing a few plates and teacups waiting to be washed and he twisted the tap, hot water pouring hard into the sink.

As he stood there, doing the dishes he couldn't help but feel bored.

Bored and… a little down.

The dishes dripped of soapy water whenever he lifted them up to see if the food bits had washed off but he honestly couldn't care for this.

_C'mon no! _he thought getting frustrated again, _I'm helping- Helping… So why don't I feel good? Why don't I feel… a-anything-?_

"What the hell are you doing?"

Rigby stiffened in shock hearing that angry voice from behind him and he wondered in irritation what he had done THIS time.

He didn't even want to turn around to Benson- the gumball machine attacking him right on the spot and he said harshly back,

"What do you mean? I'm working…"

"Yeah, I know you are- BUT you do know you're not gonna get any extra money for this."

"I know…" Rigby muttered quietly as he placed the third plate onto the dish holder.

"And the grass is still overgrown- Why didn't you and Mordecai mow it LIKE I ASKED?"

"Err… the rain…?"

"So wear COATS."

"Hey, I am working right now anyway," Rigby said getting annoyed now and knew that if he had to listen to Benson's loud banging voice any longer he'd loose it himself "We'll do the lawn TOMORROW."

"No." Benson said placing his hands on his hips as he stared at Rigby's turned back and waited for the coon to turn around.

Rigby breathed heavily out through his nose… feeling his body grow in anger and his blood boiling… but he turned stiffly around to stare with piercing eyes back at the candy machine.

"You will do it as soon as that rain stops. Even if it's dark."

"O-kay." Rigby said in a hard voice and Benson gave him one warning glare- before marching off.

"OhhhhHHHHH!" Rigby groaned grabbing his head and pulling out loose strands of fur "Even when I try to HELP I still get… this SHIT!"

He slammed his hands on the bench, glaring outside to the stormy weather and how he had been tipped so easily back into a bad mood.

"Well it can't get any worse than this."

He scrunched up a little- knowing that whenever that was said something worse always did happen… and chuckled a little- how clichéd…

But when he looked up to the clock his eyebrows sunk- it was only five o clock. And he just wanted this day to be over already. Time really was going by too slow and it wasn't fun anymore.

"Blah blah blah blah… blah." He grumbled as he wiped the last dirty cup clean and placed it on the holder, tapping his fingers along the counter… not knowing what to do now… his best friend still away and still probably pissed at him.

Rigby just felt alone… the house was so quiet without his best friend and him talking.

Everyone was so… different…

Mordecai was the only person he wanted to hang with… but it felt like… Mordecai didn't want to hang.

And Rigby… just couldn't let that go. He just couldn't let the loneliness engulf him… and get to him.

Even with this job he had too much time to feel the effects of the mind.

He breathed out barely, heading for the front door where he soon found himself outside- the wind pounding on him and tearing his fur this way and that.

Work = occupation

Occupation = no thinking

No thinking = no depression.

He went to the shed and heard the sound of tweaking and skewing.

His lips lowered barely seeing Skips under a Golf Buggy tinkering away and panted, walking past him mumbling "-Hey Skips-", climbing onto the lawnmower and driving it out mumbling "Bye Skips..."

"Hey where you going with that?" The yeti asked in a gruff voice as he rolled himself out from under the buggy and Rigby halted it saying.

"Just doing the lawn."

"In this weather? Without Mordecai?"

Rigby looked a bit nervous as he replied barely "Mordecai isn't here at the moment… he's with Margaret."

"Oh." Skips said carefully, as if understanding… and he sat up, wiping his oily hands with a cloth from the ground.

"And you miss him?"

"What?-No." Rigby lied quick and stiffly and the yeti nodded his head just as stiff.

"Mmm hmm, okay."

"Yeah… well… I'm gonna get started."

"You really think you should go out in that weather?"

"Well I mean- it's not gonna kill me or anything?"

"Still- you could catch a cold."

"Hey, I have fur"

"How many animals do you see out in this weather? Just because you're furry doesn't make you immune."

"Hey I can handle it, okay?" Rigby said with a smile- feeling slightly more confident with concern coming from the usually silent yeti.

"If you say so, just don't be mowing for more than an hour."

"-Kay," Rigby said grinning cheerfully as he drove the lawnmower out into the grass, rain lashing down on him the moment he left the cover of the shed "Jesus!" he yelled in shock as he got drenched head to toe in a second and pulled towards him the top gear as the vehicle jerked back and forth. The lawnmower jugged about ferociously, combustion being brought from below with the mud being screwed up into the wheels, "C'mon baby," Rigby muttered in a determined voice as he drove hard into the fields, mud spluttering from behind him but he ignored it and just kept going, getting this job done and getting the thoughts done away with.

His bones chilled as the water seeped through his fur into his body but he just kept on going- not caring- the cold was just a feeling and DAMMIT _it felt_ GOOD.

And he kept going, rocks being crushed from the sharp shredders of the vehicle- he could barely see right in this rain- it was the afternoon but it felt like night as no light was escaping from those black clouds that bashed out rain like it was a tsunami.

First acre- done

Second acre-done

Tenth acre- done

ALL ACRES- _DONE!_

He panted furiously as he reached the end of the overgrown grass and collapsed on the wheel, breathing in and out heavily as the air had gone brisk and it was hurting his lungs.

He wiped the sweat and water off his eyes with his paw and twisted the key again, turning the machine back on before heading back to the house.

It wasn't that bad… and he had helped. He felt a bit pissed and annoyed but that would soon simmer down. It was too dark to see the ground underneath him as he drove back to the shed- the headlights of the mower being the only guide back.

Arriving to the shed- it seemed so deserted and airy with all the tools laying about on the ground and Rigby carefully parked the mower in the centre, too tired to concentrate on parallel parking between the two golf buggies.

He held his sides in a grip as he shivered uncontrollable getting off the vehicle and didn't even want to look at whatever state the lawnmower was in- not realizing…

It was a bad one…

"Huhhh…" he breathed out with a chatter.

He was frozen.

And this was not good.

He couldn't feel his limbs, his whole body numb stepping slowly over to the shed's exit and looking at the lit house… but even that… didn't feel warm.

He bit his lip running on all fours over to the house and scampering at the knob, getting inside where all he could hear was the sound of water dripping off his body.

He shivered in the quiet hallway as he heard sounds from the television and slight chuckles of Skips and Benson.

Rigby huffed… the cold and the loneliness… how no one came out to greet him when all he had done since he came home was work.

"..so it's coming along well…?"

"The backed up clog was hard to clear but I just oiled it a little and it…"

"Ohh…" Rigby moaned feeling real pathetic as he walked slowly into the room and the two men didn't even look at him until water was heard dripping and Benson's eyes shot up.

"What are you doing?"

Rigby just stopped moving and looked at Benson slowly. It was the puddles ...and he curled his lips in, leaving the room and leaving the only company he had.

Rigby stood in the bath, scuffing his fur all about with a towel … the room silent with only the friction of the towel making sound.

"huhhhh…"

If they had a chick in the house he could've used a blow-dryer but it was all men- weird how none of them turned gay yet? He smirked at that and threw the damp towel on the banister, coming back down to the lounge room but when he stepped in

The room was deserted.

"Oh come on," he said gritting his teeth… he had only been gone for ten minutes… this was not happening, he was not being avoided now, was he?

He sighed with a useless frown and sat down on the couch, looking at the screen and the silent noise that was coming from it.

It was getting late now…

It was seven and Mordecai still wasn't home…

Rigby stared at the screen. Filling with static light. And not feeling.

Mordecai stood outside the house in the rain, his feathery hand on the knob and he turned it.

The door creaked as he came inside and he arrived into the silent house… only murmurs coming softly from the lounge room.

"Hmmm…" he murmured himself suspiciously as he closed the door quietly and unzipped the raincoat he had borrowed. His wet feet walking barely across the damp carpet and he peered silently into the lounge room...

…Rigby sitting and watching with shiny eyes reflecting the lights from the screen,

"Hey."

Rigby froze hearing that voice that had gone away so long ago and slowly looked up to his tall…

Mordecai.

"Hey."

A second drifted by in the silence before he said.

"How was it with Margaret?"

"It was really…cool."

Rigby didn't say anything… he just didn't feel anything for all the work today had taken his feeling and he nodded in a uselessness… a sadness.

"I think I might go to sleep," Mordecai said with a smile and that suddenly snapped something in the coon as he said quickly- suddenly coming back.

"Wait- why?"

"Dude, it's like eleven o clock?"

Rigby looked up at the clock to see the small hand on 11 and grabbed his head hard… supressing a cry for help… for him to just be here for a little longer,

"Well see you in the morning."

"Mordecai…"

The bird looked at him blinking his eyes slowly.

"Please stay."

"Jeeze Rigby, I really need to sleep-"

"Stay."

And Mordecai halted… something changing.

He walked over to the arm chair and sat down on it quietly… not knowing why, as he looked at Rigby and said… not knowing why…

"Sure…"

Mordecai didn't know why he stayed… like something compelled him… kinda… maybe it was Rigby's voice… sounding so… differently and the racoon looked at him as if something finally came into place and he added wanting to know

and knowing he soon would...

"Tell me what happened today."

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**Well that's chapter 7 and if you like it then review and I'll try to update soon again. Also- I think this is the only chapter where it's just Rigby's POV but I did update so Yay!**

**Peace out.  
**


	8. Together Time

**Time Together**

"...What do you want to know?"

"What you did at Margaret's."

Mordecai felt kind of nervous being put on the spot. Normally he would've just left and gone upstairs but something in him literally made him feel like he owed Rigby an explanation so he said calmly,

"Well we just talked really, and she showed me some of her CDs. You know she has a Fist Pump Poster in her room."

"Right, uh huh…" he replied looking at Mordecai with quiet concentrating eyes and Mordecai tapped the chair's arm rest nervously with his fingers… he really felt put on the spot and didn't like it.

"Can I-" Rigby looked up at him as he said slowly "Can I leave now, you know, I'm exhausted."

"Tomorrow's Saturday man," Rigby said with a grin- though it seemed almost weird, dangerous and Mordecai felt his throat swallow without his control, "We have the _whole_ day off,"

"Oh yeah… but you know," Mordecai said quickly trying to get off the chair but his body was literally pulling him to it "Don't want to waste it by sleeping in till two like we always do."

"Why not?" Rigby said laughing loudly and Mordecai grinned, "I mean, we have nothing planned… didn't even go fishing today,"

"Good thing we didn't but?" Mordecai responded with an honest voice looking outside as rain was pelting on the window behind him "We would've gotten soaked."

"Yeah…"

Rigby's head fell down looking at the ground, thinking of how he did get drenched by doing the job Benson had assigned him and looked up seeing Mordecai stiff almost in position… was this really happening… was he controlling Mordecai's movements…?

"Actually, you won't believe it!"

"Wha-?"

"I totally did the lawn while you were at… hers" he slowed down thinking of Margaret and the Jay seemed to catch this looking at Rigby confused before the coon added realising his friend had noticed "and the dishes,"

"Wh- R-really?"

This was a surprise…. Had Rigby actually done… work? Mordecai scuffed laughing and said wiping his beak "You honestly did that? Rigby that's major!"

"Ha-how?" he said chuckling "I mean, it _had _to be done, plus… you were with Margaret."

"Well… yeah… but thanks Rigby," Mordecai said with a smile and Rigby blinked surprised, hearing kindness in his voice "I really appreciate this"

"Really?"

"Yeah, but did you do that in the rain?"

"Uh huh."

"Why?" he smirked completely in wonder.

"Well… I did it-" Rigby said but paused- was he gonna say the real reason… because he wanted Mordecai to just escape from his thoughts… or the fake reason,

He looked at Mordecai who was expecting something so just said weakly "For you,"

"Oh," the bird said and chuckled nervous, "Err, cool.."

Rigby smiled at him with a worn out expression, and the bird seemed to notice his lidding eyes, "Man, you look wrecked… seriously, we should get some sleep."

"Yeah, hey- let's sleep out here!"

"Yeah- wait-what-?"

"No seriously man! It'll be so cool."

"I want to get a _GOOD_ night sleep… like, heh, what'd we even sleep on?"

"Well I slept out here last night."

"And you were moody as hell this morning."

"I was not,"

"I heard you yelling at Benson, heh heh"

"He was the one who was moody!"

"heh heh... You both are little moody bitches."

"Dude!" Rigby said suddenly bursting into hysteria and Mordecai joined, hitting his head with his hand in cries of laughter.

"No but c'mon, we don't have to get up in the morning- let's totally wreck ourselves!"

"No d-dude." Mordecai chuckled still in disbelief, shaking his head and the coon grinned, looking the jay up and down and decided to test his sails.

"We're staying down here."

"-Wha?"

"Oh- do you want to leave?" Rigby said smiling with a snicker and Mordecai frowned hard.

He wanted to leave; he wanted to get into his warm bed instead of on the couch but _Rigby's _voice almost nearly made it impossible.

"Well… don't you think it'll be more comfortable?" Mordecai said with clenched teeth.

"No, I'm fine here, but if you wanted to leave."

"Can I-" but the bird stopped dead in his tracks. Was he _seriously _going to ask Rigby, his annoying best friend if he had permission to leave? What made him think he even had to? So he stood up stiffly, faking a smile at the sly grinning coon but when he tried to take a step towards the door his talon froze in the air…hitting the ground in the wrong spot not walking in the direction he wanted to go and Rigby smiled cheekily.

"No, I'm fine…" Mordecai finally said forcefully but with a put on 'not caring' voice "but I get the couch."

Rigby grinned… he wouldn't be that cruel would he and make his friend sleep on the ground… or would he…?

"You're sleeping on the ground."

"WHAT!" Mordecai yelled, his wings swinging open in anger "Man, I'm not sleeping on the floor!"

"Well, I don't mind sharing the couch…"

"_Dude?_" Mordecai said in honest disbelief and added nervously "That's… really gay?"

"How?" Rigby said completely confused.

"Well… if I'm gonna sleep down here-"

"Do you want to sleep down here?" Rigby asked grinning.

"-THEN I don't want to sleep on the freezing floor!"

"Hey, I'm not stopping you," Rigby said holding his hands opened innocently and Mordecai nearly growled before asking bluntly.

"Why do you want to sleep down here anyway?"

"Hey, I usually sleep on a freezing elastic trampoline. You do the math."

"GOD RIGBY!"

"Jeeze, what's your problem? No one's asking you to stay,"

"GOOD." Mordecai said seeing his leer way and stormed towards the door-

"-Stay."

He felt his body freezing again in his walk and Mordecai ground his teeth furiously together… he did not like this game Rigby was playing with him- but he did not want to act like he was being affected by something not himself and turned around saying as he got on the floor, crossing his wings as he stared up at the ceiling.

"You know what. I'm cool with this."

"Really?"

"Yep. This is what I want."

"Do you want a blanket?"

"You tell me."

Rigby sniggered, his hands grasping onto the cushion beneath him before he smirked and said,

"I'm not stopping you from leaving… I think _YOU'RE _being _moody_ now."

Mordecai, sighed, loosening his hard position and put his wings behind his head… seeing Rigby watching him with a grin, and he blew out barely, turning away from the coon… his body shivering from the cold.

Rigby smiled softly, before getting up and walking off.

Mordecai rubbed his arms with his feathery hands quickly, trying to get warm but still had an angry scowl on his face.

"Stupid Rigby…" he murmured "Hhhhhh…" he shivered almost loosing track of thought from the cold. This was ridiculous… why was he honestly doing this… really,_ why? _He rubbed his arms vigorously before feeling a load of blankets being dumped on him and his eyes widened fast, pulling the quilts' tops off his head, staring up at Rigby who was smiling widely.

"Don't want you to catch a cold now."

"No…" the bird said a little surprised and watched slowly as Rigby left again… okay… things were getting weird now.

He sat up slowly, pulling the lighter blanket off him and laying it flat on the ground to block out the cold of the floor. He dragged the heavy quilt over him and shivered into the warmth, trying to capture some of it for himself before closing his eyes.

_WHAM_

A pillow slammed into his face, suffocating him almost and he grabbed it quickly, tearing it off and glaring at Rigby who was smiling even bigger.

"Don't want your head to be cold."

"Are you done?"

"Yep."

"Then let's sleep. Right?"

"I don't want to sleep."

"You're sleeping."

"You're not sleeping either."

"WHAT! DUDE _SERIOUSLY!_"

"-HA HA HA-!"

"You're so IMMATURE!"

"Oh, I _need_ mommy to tuck me in." he said snarky and Mordecai nearly jumped off the floor-

"-The only way I'm touching you is with a punch in the FACE."

"Why so _SERIOUS_?"

"What- so we're quoting movies now?"

"Oh relax," Rigby said waving Mordecai's infuriated mood away "I got you stuff to keep you warm, I just didn't want you to be freezing."

"You know what." Rigby waited in silence for Mordecai to finish and his friend only tucked into the blankets more sighing… "Thanks..."

"It's cool,"

"You didn't have to do this."

"And have you pissed at me."

"Hey you're not making me stay down here…"

Rigby froze… he wasn't…? He was so confused as to whether he was controlling Mordecai's willpower or not… and the bird was hiding any hints with his snappy replies… that maybe Mordecai was just doing it for… quality time?

"I'm…" Rigby said almost getting nervous now "I'm not?"

"No…"

"So you didn't feel forced to stay here?"

"-What, like you _controlling _me? Don't be an idiot."

But he was controlling him! Rigby had been so sure of it… was Mordecai bluffing or making an excuse? He knew his friend. If he didn't want to do something than nothing would change his mind. He didn't want to sleep down here but did. Mordecai was lying- but how could he be sure-

And suddenly he knew how.

"Kiss me."

"What?"

But Rigby stared silent… seeing if this order would prove whether he had control or not… or whether he had been going crazy this whole time- that the Force wasn't even real.

Rigby looked down at his friend's crazed face with all this confusion and murmured almost nervous.

"Mordecai-"

But he froze as Mordecai's beaky lips pressed for a brief second against his own, forming a hard lip lock-before it was over and the bird slammed back onto the ground swooping the blankets over his head so that he didn't have to look at that coon.

Rigby's heart had honestly stopped beating for those two seconds.

But he knew now.

He knew.

"…Mordecai?"

The body under the blankets moved about angrily as Mordecai pushed his hands over his ears so he couldn't hear any more of Rigby's commands.

"Mordecai, why did you DO that…?"

But there was no response and Rigby bit his lip hesitantly… looking at the hidden bird and said forcefully- nearly in anger.

"Tell me why you just kissed me?"

But it was useless… Mordecai couldn't hear him so didn't have to respond to whatever Rigby was saying. The coon sat there, his fingers gripping onto the cushions intensely confused…

Mordecai just kissed him… yes it was forced… but he- kissed him… and on the LIPS…

Mordecai did this… but Rigby knew it meant nothing to Jay… so it had to mean nothing to him too.

He growled angrily… he wanted his friend to look at him… he had gone through so much pain today trying to get him out of his head and now the bird had stormed back in there and was cramming new scarier thoughts into his mind.

He stared at the blankets with hard eyes, wanting to see the blue of his friends feathers… wanting him to come out and just admit that he kissed him. But the jay was so _stubborn._

"Grrr!" He growled and nearly pulled the blankets off of him but stopped… he was only going to make it worse. Mordecai wasn't going to talk… wasn't going to admit what Rigby really wanted to hear…

And even in that thought he froze…

What did he want to hear…?

A part of him knew what it was that he wanted his best friend to say… wanted to hear the L word.

But this wasn't true. It couldn't be. Rigby knew that the quick and hard kiss was forced.

Mordecai had been forced to do it by him…

Yet if he tried again…?

_Kiss me… _

Would Mordecai… do it again…?

He was too afraid to try… to scared that he was making something that _neither_ of them wanted. T-that… he… d-didn't… want?

"GET OUT OF MY _HEAD!_" He screamed suddenly, jumping off the couch and tried to escape. But the one thing he couldn't escape was this. His thoughts!

"Dude SHUT UP!" Mordecai's voice yelled suddenly as the bird finally swung the blankets off him and stared up furiously at the coon "God, you sound like a cat having a fit!"

Rigby stopped moving the second he had that voice and stood still.

"I-I do?" the coon murmured barely with a quaky nervous voice.

"Yeah, just go to sleep already."

Rigby stayed silent, just staring at Mordecai's angry face and muttered rubbing his arm scared, "And that's it…?"

"It's two in the morning Rigby…" the bird groaned stretching his hand down his face tiredly "What are you even fussing about?"

And he knew in that instance that sentence had answered everything.

_Kinda like always doing dares…_

Mordecai did what he had been told… nothing else.

That kiss had already left the bird's head… and Rigby was just causing himself worry and fear thinking it over and over.

He looked at his friend's aggravated face slowly… seeing lines of exhaustion and not of the same worry as his.

"Nothing…nothing dude…" he muttered, and walked quietly back to the couch with a face of pure… nothing.

Mordecai watched Rigby, sighing as he saw the coon curl into a cold ball on the couch's cushion and pulled the quilt off the space next to him murmuring.

"Sleep here…"

Rigby's eyes opened slowly as he didn't know if he had heard right… or if he had just imagined it. He looked up to Mordecai, who pulled a blank face and said.

"But isn't that… really gay?"

"I think we've done _enough _gay things for today to not make it count…" the bird said honestly and the coon smiled nearly smirking, climbing off the couch and getting on the ground next to Mordecai as the bird dropped the blanket over him before turning to face the other way.

The coon lay there, looking at the bird's back and pushed against him barely, afraid, to get some of the heat that Mordecai had made, before smiling and saying with a tired grin,

"We could just go upstairs to sleep…?"

Mordecai murmuring quietly.

"…Shut up."

* * *

**Chapter 8! Wrote it all up in three and a half hours with no breaks. Phew! **

**Hope you liked it and I'd love it if you reviewed, :) **

**-but only if you think it deserves it.**

**Bye for now, I'm exhausted.  
**


	9. No Control

"Uhr…"

Rigby moaned in pain as he turned over on his stomach from the uncomfortable night's sleep on the floor. He opened his eyes wearily as he looked out to the darkness of the blanket and curled in expecting to hit off the bird but just rolled into an empty cold spot. He blinked slowly realising he was alone and reached his paw wearily across, pulling the blanket off his drowsy face.

"M-Mordecai?" he murmured as he saw the lounge room was dead quiet and the sunlight shining in brightly from the window hurting his eyes and making him rub them in pain. He got up gradually onto his feet and looked around, his back killing him from yet another bad sleeping place as he said again "Mordecai?"

"Yeah?"

He blinked to the side hearing the sound of a relaxed voice from the kitchen and started to walk towards it, seeing the bird drinking coffee and reading a gameboy magazine at the table with passing interest.

"Hey dude,"

"Mmm…" the jay murmured not really paying attention as he took a sip out of his cup and Rigby walked over, looking across at him from the table.

"Whachya reading?"

"…about the new Strong John game…"

"Ha, you can't beat from the original!"

"…yeah I suppose…"

"Yeah…" Rigby said weakly, Mordecai seeming to be quiet and not bothered with his company. Rigby felt kind of nervous now with the silence coming from the bird who just flicked over a page; and the coon went over to the kettle filling it up with water and turning it back on the boil.

"So what do you want to do today?" he said as he leaned his hands against the table twiddling his fingers with a smile and Mordecai looked up indifferent, shrugging his shoulders "Man, what time is it? I feel like I've slept half the day!" Rigby said with a hard laugh. Mordecai just pointed his feathery finger up to the clock that hung on the wall and Rigby frowned… getting annoyed now with the little responses.

"Mordecai?"

The bird kept silent… silent for the reason that he just wanted some time without Rigby for he remembered what that coon had made him do last night… the kiss… yet he didn't know how… and if Rigby could make him do that, what else could he make him do…? Though the jay knew that he should just say something to get him off his back and replied looking finally up from the magazine,

"Yeah dude?"

"What's up? You still sleepy like a lil' _girl_?" Rigby said tauntingly and the bird just smirked replying,

"You should look at yourself, _Rigby_, I didn't know you had set up a cloak room for bags under your eyes."

"Hey, I'm not s-s sLEEEEpy…" he said yawning saying that and just grinned sheepish, hearing the kettle steam as it switched off and poured himself a cup of coffee, Mordecai raising an eyebrow with a smirk.

"Yeah… sure…"

"Hey let's rent a movie tonight."

Mordecai looked up hearing this as he saw the raccoon sit opposite him, his fingers curled around the mug and said slowly.

"Like what…?"

"I don't know. But something good."

"Like…" Mordecai said slowly and started to smile "Avatar?"

Rigby blinked awakened at that title but cautious… as he stared across at his friend quietly. Why did Mordecai mention that….? That film had started the whole fighting in the first place. He wished it didn't exist. So why would Mordecai mention it. He felt his heart beat slowly as he said quietly,

"What about it…?"

"Just that I borrowed it from Margaret last night" Mordecai said with a rising grin and the coon looked at him with widening eyes,

"You didn't?"

"I did."

"Whoa, SHE MUST BE _RICH_!" he said loudly, his body literally ecstatic as if this wasn't really happening… but it was,

Mordecai

Had gotten him

The DVD.

And he started laughing in excitement nearly jumping off his chair to hug the bird but just said in happy disbelief "Man, HOW did she HAVE IT?"

"Dude, everyone has it!" Mordecai chuckled looking at his friend "So we can totally watch it tonight."

"YES!" Rigby shouted in pure joy, taking a happy eager gulp of his hot coffee and the bird just laughed quietly, shaking his head and continuing on reading till his own cup was empty, putting it on the counter before walking out and Rigby blinked from his excited smile confused saying with a chuckle.

"H-hey…? Where you going?"

Mordecai stopped… replying in a normal voice "Margaret's," but froze as those words left his beak… wait, he didn't mean to say her name… it just came out as soon as he heard that order and Rigby felt his heart stiffing continuing on hoping he heard wrong.

"You mean the coffee shop… right?"

"Err, yeah…" the bird lied nervously and reached his leg out to take a step forward but Rigby looked to the ground before back up and repeated, feeling the untruth,

"Where are you going"

"Margaret's." Mordecai responded a second time without control but hurried on in his step, Rigby feeling the hurt come as Mordecai was going to spend another day away… and with her.

"Oh that's cool," he said finally half-heartedly getting off his own chair quickly and catching Mordecai just as he was about to open the front door "I'm coming."

The bird literally ground his teeth together glancing down at the raccoon who was now beside him and replied as if unaffected, "Err sure, but you'd probably be bored."

"Oh no," Rigby said as the bird opened the door and stepped out "I love hanging with Margaret."

Mordecai knew that was a lie… so they were both doing it, were they? And he said as the two walked onwards down the footpath.

"When did this happen?"

"Err, always?"

"No you haven't," Mordecai said annoyed now at this lying- he wouldn't half mind Rigby coming if he'd stop the lying and just admitted he didn't like Margaret but that raccoon was so stubborn that Mordecai was starting to get annoyed and said "You like hanging with Margaret?"

"Err, Yeah?"

"So do you usually treat girls the way you did yesterday."

Rigby stared up at Mordecai, feeling his annoyance radiate and didn't like how the pissiness was coming back so suddenly… why couldn't he just admit to the jay that he only wanted to hang with his best friend… that he just wanted to be with Mordecai and he'd put up with any chick to do that.

"You know I'm a chick magnet man," he lied with a forced laugh "they love it when you treat them bad!"

"No they don't."

"Well, let me ask you this." Rigby said smiling with false confidence, trying anything to lessen this tension that had come without his willingness "Who can make Margaret laugh all the time? Me or you?"

"Shut up…"

Rigby's heart froze… what he had said so lightly had somehow made Mordecai angry. He didn't want that and looked with a little fear up at his friend's irritated face.

It made him feel unwanted. Anything he tried always just got Mordecai annoyed, he couldn't do anything right… Anything! He tried to make him laugh but only made him scowl, he tried to make him feel good but only made him angry… he literally felt like the worst company in the world… everything not wanted from his friend and he just gripped his fists… TIRED,

…and angry

They eventually reached Margaret's apartment block, both with mad hunches but Mordecai just blew out, trying to wipe off his mood as he rolled his shoulders to calm down and Rigby just smirked sourly saying,

"Just press the buzzer."

Mordecai glared down at him, reaching his finger forward and pressing the button for apartment number 6.

The two stood there in silence, both glowering at the other before a friendly voice said through the speaker.

"Hello?"

"Hey Margaret," Mordecai said with a nervous happy voice "It's Mordecai,"

"And Rigby."

Mordecai glared down at Rigby's grinning face and added back, "And… Rigby."

"Oh Hey!" the cheery voice said "I'll just buzz you up!"

"Thanks!" the jay said with a smile and the door could be heard unlocking as he pushed it open and the two walked on in.

"You better not be rude." Mordecai warned as they got in the elevator and began to rise upwards. Rigby smirked, looking up with dangerous eyes… oh he wouldn't be rude… no not at all, though he couldn't say the same about _Mordecai_.

The doors opened up finally and the two walked out into the hallway where numbered doors were taking up most of the wall.

They walked to number 6 and Mordecai knocked on it, the bird and coon waiting and ignoring the other's presence until the door was opened and a robin stood at the doorway, a gleam of her face as she said.

"Hey guys! Come on in."

"Thanks," Mordecai said with a smile and the two walked in following the robin,

"I was just making some coffee, do you want some?"

"Sure,"

"Sorry but I forgot to bring my wallet," Rigby said and as he expected Margaret laughed. Mordecai shot him a look but he just grinned, watching the girl pour three cups and handing the first two to them.

"Go on and sit down," Margaret continued and the two pulled out two of the chairs at her small square table "I'm just going to be washing some of my dishes,"

"Oh, do you need any help?" Mordecai said quickly looking at the pink bird with eyes of a crush and she just giggled,

"N-no, it's rude for a guest to do work."

"Yeah Mordecai, Man you-_are_-so-_bad" _Rigby said with a put on voice and Margaret chuckled, her back turned from them to the sink.

Mordecai just rolled his eyes and took a sip from his cup. Rigby looked his way quickly and said quietly,

"Spit it out."

The jay spat out his coffee, his eyes widening not believing he just did that and Margaret turned around saying confused,

"Sorry, was it too hot?"

"-Err no…!" he said quickly, placing his cup down fast on the table and lied "I thought I saw a spider."

"Oh," she said confused looking around the floor "Where…?"

"It's gone now…"

"A little jumpy there weren't you, Mordecai?" Rigby said with fake concern and the bird shot him a look. Margaret just smiled turning back to the sink and Mordecai glared at Rigby muttering,

"Stop it."

The raccoon only arched an eyebrow, taking a sip from his cup before whispering with a smile "Tell Margaret her coffee tastes horrible."

Mordecai froze… feeling the words without his control start to come out but no- he would not let this game be played by Rigby's rules alone and said as goofily as he could.

"Oh MARRRGARET… Your cooooooffeee tastes TERRrible,"

"Ha ha, you okay Mordecai?" she said with a smile laughing a little at his silliness and Rigby grinned saying quietly so only the jay could hear.

"Repeat what I say…" Mordecai pulling an edgy face "No, I just couldn't stop looking at your fat ass."

"_No I just couldn't stop looking-" _Mordecai began as quietly as he could,

"Loudly," the coon said,

"AT YOUR FAT ASS!"

"Mordecai?" the robin said in surprise and the bird threw his wing over his mouth, embarrassment striking him hard.

"Mordecai?" Rigby said with a pretend shocked face of his own.

"Was that a… joke?" Margaret asked slowly confused and the jay nodded his head, nearly sweating in mortification and Rigby whispered.

"Scream 'I love you'"

"MMM UVV EWW!" Mordecai yelled with his mouth still covered to muffle his words and Margaret stared at him completely bewildered.

"What?"

"-Again!"

"MMM UVV EWW!"

"Mordecai, what's wrong?"

"-I've got to go!" he screamed rushing up from his chair and running to the door desperately and Rigby jumped quickly off his chair yelling.

"Stop!"

Mordecai froze… terror in him… the most terrified he ever had felt. Rigby was ruining him in front of the girl of his dreams… and there was no way he could fight back. He didn't want to turn around and see Margaret's face… but couldn't just stay frozen at the door and in pure fear twisted back around and said slowly.

"Margaret, I have to tell you something."

"What…?" she said worried not knowing anything of what this could be and the jay sighed saying with a brave face.

"I have just been diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome…"

"R… really?" she said in disbelief coming closer in concern and Mordecai nodded his head with that lie.

"Yes."

Rigby couldn't help himself…

He started to snigger uncontrollably and Margaret looked back at him baffled saying,

"Rigby what's so funny about this? It's a terrible condition."

"Oh… yeah- I KNOW." He said trying to sound deeply concerned and added trying to hide a smile "You should have heard him last night, he kept screaming BANANAS BANANAS non-stop… I really felt really bad for him."

"Oh God…" Mordecai mumbled shaking his head acting… "Yeah… but the doctor said it may only be temporary,"

"Oh that's a relief," Margaret said with a smile "Well, I understand."

"Yeah… so maybe I should get going home to take my tablets… you know?" he added as he knew that as long as Rigby was with him while around Margaret… he was a dead bird.

"Sure, well I'll see you later…?"

"Uh huh. COME ON _RIGBY." _ He continued through clenched teeth and Rigby blinked hearing that, looking at the bird with his snickering smile fading and followed him out. As soon as the two had walked out to the corridor and the door closed Mordecai's fist went colliding towards Rigby but he yelped fast.

"Don't touch ME!"

And the punch reflected hard into the wall, the bird crying in pain "Ahh!" before glaring at Rigby screaming "WHAT DID YOU DO!"

"What are you talking ABOUT?"

"You know what I'm talking about!" he yelled and even though he wanted to slam Rigby against the wall, all he could do was shake his fists in fury, "You're doing something! You did something to control… _MEEE_!"

"Look man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Rigby shouted quickly in defence as Mordecai leered over him "You've just been acting weird!"

"I'm not the one acting weird! YOU'RE the one acting like a _LOSER_!"

Harsh… Mordecai only called someone a loser when he was really disgusted at them and Rigby just looked up at him with tearing eyes muttering,

"I'm not a loser…"

"YOU ARE." The bird said coldly "You are pathetic that you can't spend a single second alone and you just cling onto _me_."

"I DON'T _NEED_ YOU!"

"WELL I DON'T _NEED_ YOU _EITHER_!" Mordecai roared and stormed off leaving the raccoon at that, he didn't even wait for the elevator- taking the stairs and Rigby felt like crying in tears,

THIS was NOT what he wanted. He didn't WANT this! He just wanted his friend to _love_ him! He just wanted Mordecai to be with him! He hated denying it and he hated Mordecai for _it! _He hated the reason that it was becoming clearer everyday and that he couldn't keep doing these things only to keep Mordecai with him… it was over… what they had was over. The friendship was gone… a few brief minutes of laughter a day with the rest being hate- but no… he couldn't let go.

He ran for the stairs quickly, seeing Mordecai had already reached the bottom floor and yelled,

"MORDECAI WAIT!"

The bird growling as he stopped without control and Rigby took a gulp… knowing that Mordecai didn't want him… b-but he couldn't be in this world alone and he hurried down the stairs on his all fours skidding to a stop as he saw Mordecai's infuriated face and said nervously,

"Please Mordecai, don't go."

"I'll let _you _be the judge of that." He hissed and Rigby stood up looking at him and his mouth quivered in fear of what to say.

"I just want us to hang…"

"What so you embarrass me in front of Margaret?" he yelled his wings flying out and scaring the coon as if he were to be hit and Rigby just said quickly,

"No!"

"THEN WHY DID YOU MAKE ME DO IT!"

"I DIDN'T!" Rigby yelled, his eyes watering as he screamed

"I CAN'T CONTROL YOU!"

And with that Mordecai froze… that was right… his friend couldn't control him… there was no way of that… Rigby had no more power over him than the air he breathed. Whatever he had done had been done by himself. He wasn't a puppet.

And he wouldn't be controlled… by this weak… pathetic… scared little creature he had once called friend.

He turned around and started walking out the door onto the street as Rigby shouted terrified,

"STOP!"

Mordecai felt a twinge in his body as it tried to stay still but he pulled himself onwards with all his power and Rigby gasped not understanding as he shouted again,

"_STOP!_"

But Mordecai kept slamming one foot in front of the other… NOTHING was going to make him STOP! No words… No force… _NOTHING!_

Rigby started shaking in terror, why wasn't HE _STOPPING! _Why wasn't it working? _WHY?_? And he ran after Mordecai, the bird just crossing the road and yelled,

"MORDECAI PLEASE DON'T GO!"

and he turned around, yelling with all his fury

"LEAVE… ME… _ALONE!" _

Rigby stopped… cars flying between them, both on opposite sides of the long grey road and he stared with tears at Mordecai's angry eyes… piercing through him and seeing what he didn't want to be seen.

That he was a small animal… and Mordecai was a grown man… and that he was no longer… his friend…

He had tried everything… but nothing worked.

But this couldn't be the end… this couldn't be it.

The bird turned around… and left.

Rigby just fell on his knees… his hands hitting the cement as tears poured down his face… crying.

Before everything went quiet

And he heard a whisper as a force said so slightly…

_Rigby…_

_...do you know what __**you**__ have to do..._

…_Now?

* * *

_

**Chapter 9, up and dusted. I hope you like it and as always review if you enjoyed.**

**Bye (...and sorry it took so long to come)  
**


	10. Avatar

**Avatar**

The bird kicked a rock hard with his foot in anger. He was done with this! Done with everything! He just couldn't handle it anymore… handle _him!_

All the raccoon did was try to drag him down to his level… make _him_ an embarrassment.

Mordecai had tried to help, tried everything to get on with Rigby yet that raccoon couldn't do the one simple thing and just be cool around Margaret. He didn't know what last night had been about… why he kissed Rigby or why he even felt like that raccoon had control over him when he didn't! He had only played into the mind games… Rigby had probably done some sort of hypnosis on him or something… that was the only way.

Mordecai sighed out tired as he reached the park's entrance and stopped for a second as he finally took notice of the land which he had been too distracted to do this morning.

There were skid marks all over the fields… like literally a monster truck had been brought in to tear it up and his mouth dropped opened in horror.

Rigby had said he did the lawn last night…. In the rain… in the muddy grass… and had destroyed EVERYTHING.

He clenched his teeth and fists at the same time growling "Urhh!" Benson was coming around tomorrow and when he saw this he was going to explode.

"Grrrr….!" Mordecai roared through a closed mouth and stormed on down the footpath in the direction of the house, his wings swinging hard in his stomping.

He didn't know how many options he had but today was the final straw… and if he was going to fix things he was going to have to make some unfortunate decisions.

The first being… he was going to have to quit his job.

At this very moment he hated Rigby's guts to a pulp but he knew it was only at this very moment. If he was to be honest with himself… he and Rigby had been friends since childhood, they were basically brothers… but just like a brother, Mordecai knew everything about him… he knew even the insecurities Rigby tried to hide from him.

But now Rigby was feeling like too much… a burden even. Mordecai knew he was ready to go his own way in life but he knew also that to do this he had to leave Rigby. If he stayed in the same house with him any longer he'd end up killing him.

That was the truth of the situation… that's all he knew he could do.

Go.

He shook the doorknob hard but it was locked… probably by Pops after they'd left this morning.

He walked down the steps and reached his hand over to a large pot beside the house, lifting it barely and getting the spare key out from under it. He walked back over to the front door, unlocking it and coming in with a breath out.

He stood in the hallway for a brief second, hearing old music playing loudly upstairs and rolled his eyes smirking barely.

Pops.

Well at least that old lollypop man didn't have any real worries to ponder about. His ancient father had particularly kept him infantile his whole life by always funding his every need and never having Pops want or need a job.

Mordecai smiled barely, walking up to the stairs and going to his room but peered into the opened doorway seeing the lollypop man painting a picture of bunny rabbits and he smirked a little bit, heading to his room and dropping flat on his bed.

He could feel the sun's heat shine in on him pleasantly, and it seemed to evaporate his bad mood more so… but Mordecai knew that the real reason was because he was away from his problem. And it just proved that the further away from Rigby he was… the further away from his anger he was.

To be honest, it was too nice of a day to lie in the shadows of his bed… so he got back up after only two minutes had past and went to his window, opening it up.

Heat beat down on his feathers and lifted his mood gently ever more so… all the frustrations disappearing and leaned his hands barely against the window frame… alone in this happy state.

Alone… a feeling he didn't often have.

A feeling he only didn't have because he had Rig-

He shook his head slowly, trying to shake off the thought of his problem… but still… he was never alone because of that same problem. That whenever he did have quiet time… it seemed so strange.

This was the way it always felt though…

When he was with Rigby it drove him nuts yet then when that coon was gone he felt like he barely existed.

Like that coon was a second half to himself that he didn't even want.

He sighed blowing out… the absence of talk becoming oh so noticeable and he walked on back into the hall looking into Pops, seeing the picture had barely advanced but still muttered,

"Hey Pops?"

The lollypop man turned around with a big smile as he said joyfully "Oh hello Mordecai and Rig- Oh, he's not with you."

"No." Mordecai said hating that everyone had come to associate them as a package "What you painting?"

"Horseys!"

"Oh that's…cool…" the bird said as he looked at the picture which _really _looked like two rabbits having a tea party, "It looks good."

"Thank you, well I do love to paint for it makes the sun shine on my heart."

"Huh," Mordecai said as he watched the lollypop man get back to his picture and leaned against the wall, old music playing from a 1950s radio on the nightstand beside him. He looked at the painting as some more brush strokes were made and almost wished he could do something like that… though the only thing he was talented at was playing video games.

He stared at Pops… how did people seem to keep busy when they were by themselves…? Keep happy and not fade into the walls…? He couldn't believe that he had to seek out company as soon as he got home… not able to stand being by himself and muttered not believing he was even asking such an aloof person "Hey Pops… how do you keep so busy when you're on your own?"

"Oh my boy, years of practice!"

"Like what exactly?"

"Well I read novels, I paint, listen to music, go for drives in the woods at night, stroll around the park, have picnics with my friends-" at that he pointed to his stuffed toys and Mordecai gave a fake smile, trying to hide his concern "I bake cookies, I give lollypops to little children and sometimes I sow."

"Wow," he said, his eyebrows rising up in surprise "You do a lot of stuff,"

"Oh yes, but it's so much FUN!" Pops said in glee and then added on getting interest now "What do you do when you're alone?"

"Errrrrrr…" Mordecai said in a long stretched out voice… and just looked down to the floor… not knowing how he could answer for he was never really alone, "I guess… I lay about, watch movies."

"Oh! Why don't we watch a movie now!" Pops said happily getting up from his stool and the bird froze… not expecting that.

"Oh sure…" he said not knowing what else to say and added back "What do you want to watch?"

"Well I heard you and Rigby downstairs talking about some film called 'Avatar' this morning?"

"Avatar?" he said and jilted a little bit… remembering why he even borrowed it.

Yes, he had said that he was leaving Rigby as a friend… and he didn't know why he even thought of that raccoon as being hurt if he watched the film with Pops when Rigby had brought on such negative emotions in him the last couple of days.

He looked slowly up at that bumbling smiling man and let loose his words as he replied with a smile of his own "Sure,"

"Ah hoo hoo hee!" Pop's giggled jumping about giddily and the two walked out of the room and down the stairs, Mordecai picking up the raincoat he'd borrowed yesterday from Margaret and taking the DVD out from one of the pockets.

"Oh thank you Mordecai! I have been looking forward to seeing this ever since I heard about it this morning!"

"Oh yeah, cool…?"

"What's it about anyhoo?"

"About aliens…"

"AH! ALIENS!"

"No! But not bad aliens," he said quickly seeing the frightened face going over Pops, "Some people would actually call them hot,"

"… hot…?"

"Err, attractive!"

"Oh, I see!"

"Though it does go for around three hours."

"Why, today is such a beautiful day why don't we watch it outside!"

"How?" Mordecai asked not getting how, pulling a face of wary confusion and Pops only giggled.

"Oh come, come now Mordecai. All we have to do is get one of the extension cords and carry the picture box outside!"

"Yeah… but…?" Mordecai said slowly, almost pouting thinking of the work involved in carrying the TV outside but as he saw Pop's joyful face he blew out with a sigh and said back, his hand stretching back his head feathers in bothersome "Yeah… sure,"

Pops's smile grew big.

Rigby felt different… his body felt different… his heart beat in a different rhythm. It was slow… almost only one beat per minute yet he still managed to breathe… to live.

He was shaken as he grasped the concrete where he fell… shaken with hurt and confusion as to what he just did.

When he had said once more,

"_Yes"_

And once more he felt his world go black and something darker crawling into his body… this time clinging to his arteries and filling up his heart with what felt like sticky oil.

Before he was back on the concrete… the sun in a different position to before as whatever had just happened was not something natural… and was something he knew was dangerous if he wasn't careful.

_Get up_…

He opened his eyes… and stood up from the ground, staring at the empty street and hearing a whisper of slight wind blowing through his fur.

"What's _wrong _with me?" he asked frightened and not playing games but there was no one there… only the whistle of the silently teasing wind "I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!"

There was no response and he squinted his eyes… taking one step forward wary, and then another.

As he walked across the road a car came flying at him-

"_Stop!_"

It halted, its back wheels flying up before slamming to the ground and Rigby looked in fear at the driver who was paralysed, he stumbled back quickly frightened… tripping over the curb and hitting the cement again but said in a whisper, "_go,"_

And the car flew off as if on instant… a trail of dust being left behind and Rigby gasped…

"_Did I-I-?_"

Did he make him stop or did the man in the car stop himself…?

It was all so confusing… it was all so _unreal!_

He got up quickly and hurried off, rushing down the street but saw a man come his way and whispered frightened "Turn around and go home,"

The man turned… and his eyes widened.

Rigby heart's still only beat once per minute… yet he was still alive.

_How...? _ He screamed in his head, turning away from every person that he saw… _How?_

This wasn't real… what was happening wasn't real.

He had control! CONTROL over the puniest creature to the mightiest man and yet he felt like he had no control… this wasn't happening…? How was it _happening?_

He closed his eyes as he reached the park, breathing in and out quickly… yet he could barely hear a beat… could barely feel a pulse move…

If he went back to that house he would control him… he would bind him to him… make him stay… but how could he…? Did he have enough _power?_ Yet Mordecai would still scowl… still h-hate him!

Unless… he could make him stay… make him… L-love him… make him _need_ him.

"Go back… or stay…" he whispered in fear and frustration as he stood at that gate of the park… "Go back… or _stay_…"

_Do you need someone to talk too?_

He froze as he heard that wind blow cunning words into his ear and he closed his eyes, gasping almost for air.

"I don't need something that's not real."

_How can you say that…? Everything happens just as you want… you say jump, they jump… you say stay and he will._

"HE'S not going to _stay_."

_You think that… yet you can __**force **__him-_

"Mordecai won't listen to me! He _hates_ me! I-I can't go back and h-have him _h-hate_ me," he said with a panting chest as he cried out those words back into the wind… "And you don't even exist… I'm going crazy! I'm talking to myself! I DIDN'T MAKE THAT CAR STOP!"

There was a chuckle before the wind seemed to disappear and Rigby grabbed his head, pulling at his fur in agony that he couldn't make sense! That he didn't understand why he couldn't feel his heart… that he felt nothing in him!

He cried out another gasping wail… storming on.

_I see you_

"Ah hee hee!"

"Pops, that's meant to be an important part!"

"Oh but of course she sees him Mordecai! This movie is so funny! I hope it won an award for best comedy!"

"_No?_"

"Oh where can we find these actors, they are the most peculiar looking!"

"They're not actors, they're computer animated…"

"Animated… what's that?"

"It's- hey look! Flying bird things!" Mordecai said pointing at the TV screen to get Pops distracted again and it worked as the lollypop man's eyes dashed back to the small screen… the sun beating down on them.

They had brought two chairs out from the kitchen and had placed the television on a wooden box, the long electric cable running all the way into the house.

Mordecai had forgotten how visually stunning Avatar was… it just showed beauty… something he rarely bothered to take notice of yet he lived in nature himself. And how those weird alien cat things were able to connect to it with their hair… wow, that was just… cool.

He smiled, leaning forward a little to the screen as he watched Jake Sully swoop through the trees and closed his eyes, listening to Pop's giggle in childish innocence.

"Why…?"

All was silent.

…he burrowed his brow confused, opening his eyes slowly seeing Pop's had become still and silent and the television was on pause.

He turned his head around slowly as he saw Rigby standing there, his ringed eyes in pure disbelief… pain almost… but of what?

And Mordecai knew that he was still not able to talk to that raccoon at this moment… not enough time had gone by… he still had to cool down to be around him so he just got off his chair and walked toward the house.

"DON'T YOU GO!"

Mordecai stiffened as that voice bellowed across the whole entire landscape and turned to just look at Rigby's fuming eyes, the small chest panting up and down and he just replied in disbelief.

"Rigby…? What the _hell _is wrong with YOU?"

"You promised…" came a whisper now as the jay looked at watering eyes and had to make it clear for the last time,

"I never promised anything.

I'm leaving."

He walked up the steps and just heard a scared "…_don't!_" whimper now barely from behind… and he hated how weak it sounded… how small.

It made him stop… tired of this, of all of this that Rigby was.

That one insecurity and he turned around in hate of it saying confused, looking at that coon that stood there in fear.

"Rigby… you need help. You _really _need help. And I don't think that I'm good for you anymore."

"_how can you not be good enough for me when you're the only thing I need…?_"

"What?"

The sun was setting slowly, an orange light shining in Mordecai's eyes and he stared down at that raccoon in confusion and worry… if he told him he was quitting his job what would happen...? was Rigby going crazy…? Why was Pops so quiet and unmoving...?

"Pops?"

"He's frozen."

"..What?"

"I told him to freeze… and he did… I'm _not _crazy…"

"Rigby… this… this isn't r-real," Mordecai said stepping back… "You are… _crazy_… Come on, Pops."

But the lollypop man just sat there frozen, staring at the television with a smile on his face and Mordecai pulled a face of grief… saying barely "Fine… watch a paused movie… I'm going inside."

He walked into the house but stopped as he felt a silence of even the wind… a silence for at that moment he felt like nothing in the world was moving except for him…

And Rigby.

He felt his body shiver without his control… and he went up the stairs… knowing that Rigby was still standing in the same spot, staring in the same direction and that he felt at that moment like anything could happen… a scary dream… a fear that either this was it… or that it was coming.

Rigby closed his eyes…

He started to walk silently toward woods and whispered once he was a yard away from the house… "Move."

The movie turned back on as Pops started laughing and the wind began to blow…

He wasn't going crazy… he wasn't… but what was happening wasn't real… what he felt wasn't real…

Rigby walked on till he saw the trees of the woods, and quivered, looking back at the house so far away and of his life. Yet what was happening now was as scary… and he would do anything to make it stop but the wheels had started turning and wouldn't cease until something was reached…

He stepped into the woods and felt tears fall down from his face…

There was too much…

He had t-too much of it…

Control… it was near _breaking_…

* * *

**Update again. Hope you like. I'll try to update again next week. Review if you thought it was good. **

**Bye.  
**


	11. Sleep

Why had he gone into the woods? To freak Mordecai out more knowing that Rigby was out there in the unseen instead of in the house? It didn't make sense, what was he trying to prove? What was he trying to do?

He looked out his window as he saw Pops engulfed in the movie as it neared the end and heard the lollypop man gasp in amaze as Jake Sully's avatar opened his eyes before the title came on screen with a bang and Pops giggled in amaze clapping his hands and standing up in a one person ovation.

Yet Pops had never noticed when all in the world had stopped for those few minutes… when time had frozen and Rigby had stood there, his chest beating up and down in fury before simmering.

And he had walked away towards the woods.

What was wrong with him… why had he become so strange to Mordecai that his friend had become so… weak… yet powerful, the two things never being a good mix.

He stared out to the trees and swallowed, fearing that all could stop again and he would be the only thing moving. This was not safe… this was not Rigby, and what would happen if he stayed in the house tonight? He could only wait… and see.

He had gone into the woods to hide, to escape the feeling of fear and hopelessness that still Mordecai had moved… and still he had no control. Rigby felt the forest stay still as he stood in it, the trees shadowing him as he watched the sun set, his breath gaping in terror that he was out here alone… with things he _couldn't_ control

The moon began to glow down a pasty white light onto the fields of the park. Mordecai was in his room, lying in his bed as he listened to Pops's music playing quietly throughout the house, gripping his blankets… his heart beating only just in a steady rhythm but any bump or noise made it speed up in panic… how had he let himself become so scared? Terrified of the dark… a grown bird.

He heard the radio being turned off as a happy voice shouted from away,

"Good night Mordecai!"

Before all was silent… and he shook his head annoyed, letting go of his grip on the blankets, trying to remind himself that nothing was wrong… none of this was real. Rigby couldn't do whatever he was doing, it was impossible. It wasn't _real. _Mordecai was just scaring himself over nothing. He had to knock himself out of this stupid fear. He wasn't in _danger_.

He closed his eyes, trying to sleep, to fall into a void where he could forget his thoughts and have just darkness with nothing waiting for him.

Consciousness fading… his body drifting slowly off into deadness. Escaping.

Freeing.

Rigby lay on the ground, looking up into the night starry sky as he breathed with quaky breaths, his eyes shimmering in tears but felt the silence of the land… and could feel- some part of him knowing- that Mordecai had fallen asleep… out there in the fields.

Mordecai was still in his bed, and he started to feel it become occupied by someone else…

He fell stiff, as a warm body slowly began to press against him, and lips ran across his mouth gently but still in hunger…

he kissed it back slowly, his eyes shut as he ran his hands across the small furry body, holding it close in dreariness, the heat taking away the cold… the fear… before he realised…

What

He

Was

Doing

He froze… his wings pushing the small body away and his heart starting to beat quicker in panic as he felt sweat and something else pulsing into him.

"Go away!" He yelled in fear, but felt the body hold him down with a strength he knew it didn't have…

And words whispering in a shaky scared voice,

"_I need you!_"

"Ahh!" He screamed, trying to throw that body off him- managing to escape from his bed and rushed across the floor turning on the lights- In the brightness, an empty room… his heart beating fast as he touched himself quickly making sure there was nothing on him and shouted out scared,

"RIGBY! WHAT DO YOU _WANT_!"

The raccoon's ears pricked up as he heard the yell from miles away and stood up confused, his heart beating slowly, not letting him feel the panic from away but he felt Mordecai… he felt him awake… and he felt his need growing again… _needing _him so badly to love him-a feeling he was done disregarding.

He closed his eyes… and whispered… knowing he could do this if he really tried- HE ONLY HAD TO TRY.

He whispered,

"_Come_"

Mordecai felt his body freeze… was it _t-terror? _Or was it himself… before his legs started dragging against the wood and he screamed "STOP!"

"_Come"_

The windows began flapping up and down as wind blew through them, pushing Mordecai forward out into the top hall and he tried pulling back! His legs scraping against the wooden boarders as he screamed "STOP _IT!_"

Rigby smiled… the wind bringing the terrified voice across the fields to his ears and his chest panted faster… Mordecai was _coming_ to him! He was coming… he could control him! Control everything and yelled with force

"COME!"

"N-no!" Mordecai screamed, grabbing hold of the stair railing as he was being pushed down the stairs- the wind blowing madly through his feathers PUSHING HIM to his near topple down the steps and he yelled, pulling himself away from the high fall "RIGBY! STOP IT! THIS ISN'T _YOU!_ "

The raccoon stopped… his breathing ceasing as he shook his head confused… this wasn't him… what he was doing was not him… he wasn't doing this…

His heart started to beat faster for the first time since the darkness had eclipsed him… and he yelled "No!"

But already he felt the wind suddenly pick up around him, the trees almost causing a prison to circle him, a cage- as he looked down, feeling his legs stiffen and saw grass climbing up him- he jumped! Trying to shake it off whispering quickly "No- No!"

"STOP IT!" Mordecai cried as he fell to the ground, the wind had finally pulled him down and his fingers scraped alone the floor desperately, grabbing the railing again to stop him from being pulled out of the house.

Rigby tried to escape the woods as the grass pulled him down and he kept jumping running for the park but wind blew around him, spinning him in confusion and he only gasped yelling "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

_Why are you trying to leave…? _The voice whistled demeaning around him and Rigby knew it was trying to enter his body- feeling it trying to get through his shaking mouth- it wanted to get in! He could feel it pushing in and he shut his mouth panicky, clasping his hands around it but the voice only said louder, _You want Mordecai? Don't you? That's what you've been fighting to get… have him love you, have him __**need **__you! I can give you this! Just say that word! SAY IT!_

He squealed, the wind trying to force its way into him- trying to make him say that _WORD!_

"_NOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

The raccoon hit the ground as the wind stopped… his mouth hanging wide as that word roared out through the trees…

_You can't make it stop… you can't say no… when all it's been is yeses… when all you are is yes! He will leave you! He will go! Nobody wants you! You are NOTHING if you are not FORCE! You are nothing!_

"STOP IT! GO AWAY!" he screamed, ripping his hands through the wind trying to get rid of the voice that screamed at him! That tried to get in him.

_Stop._

Rigby suddenly felt his body freeze, his hands still in the air but frozen and his eyes unblinking.

He wasn't moving.

_You think, _the voice started in slight irritation… anger seeping in it as it chuckled, _that I gave you this so you could disregard… you could abuse… you can't stop now… you have to complete what you started… _Rigby's eyes quaked as tears of fear rose in them… this force… it didn't understand… it didn't know what he only began to. What it was trying to complete was impossible… Mordecai couldn't be with him, wouldn't… what was it trying to do…?

He tried to talk but was frozen… he wanted to cry but was still.

_Time to get you what you want… what you __**need**__… _it whispered as it blew into his opened mouth… swimming down and stopping his heart from the frantic beating it had allowed…

To no beat at all.

"_Mordecai…" _the empty raccoon said barely to the trees, a smile rising on its lips as it whispered with a slow grin… the wind stilting and the jay stopped… getting up slowly off the floor.

He was confused… but he wasn't afraid… this wasn't really happening… it had to be a dream. He had to lie to himself, had to make this moment real and not something that could kill him. But he stopped his very heart when he heard his friend's voice whisper with a sinister grin.

"_Come_

_Margaret._"


	12. Only Air

**Sorry for taken so long to update. I hope this makes up for it and thank you to anyone who kept up with this story till the end. I hope you enjoy.**

The girl slept with a small smile on her lips, snuggling warmly into her blankets. Her body was in peaceful slumber, dreaming calmly of the sunny odd day she'd had and the warmth that tomorrows would bring.

The wind that came ignored this, blowing softly in through her opened window with the words of that voice,

"_Come Margaret,_"

Grating along her ears and her body stirred in its sleep, one leg reaching forward slowly for the ground and then the other, as she rose soundless in the dead of night… and began to walk with closed weary eyes out of her apartment and down the winding stairs.

Mordecai had heard that command, heard her name being whispered by Rigby… in the silence of the night and he hurried to his room to get a flashlight but when he had reached for it in panic he heard his door bang shut- he swung around seeing it had closed on itself, the coon not letting him leave.

Should he try to talk to him? To beg? But he just couldn't bear to bring himself to do that… he couldn't beg… beg to the perpetrator of all this.

He just stood there… his eyes still and angered.

But said slowly.

"Rigby… leave her alone."

"_Shame… but you know she just can't resist my charm…"_

"Why are you even doing this?" he yelled in anger "To prove what? Why are you DOING _THIS?"_

"_Oh Mordecai… can you not see what has always been right in front of you… hmm?"_

"Why are you talking like that?" he asked with caution to the empty room as wind blew swiftly around him and heard a laugh… "Why does your voice sound so… different?"

"_Maybe because I am different…? Ever consider that possibility? Your hate can only bring on change… you morphing me into what I've become… you encouraging me to become stronger, more powerful."  
_

"What?" he whispered confused.

"_Do you know how much you hurt me, Mordecai? Do you even care? Well, Margaret does."  
_

"Margaret barely knows you man! You've never even been alone with her?"

"_Don't say that Mordecai… don't hurt me even more."_

"No." he said quietly and glanced out the window, turning on his flashlight as he looked into the pasty white moonlit fields… and his eyes widened slowly as he saw a robin in a light summer's nightgown walk calmly across the swaying grass.

He quaked, feelings of fear as tears rose in his scared eyes… she was going into the woods and he was just here, watching her- and not doing anything.

"LET ME OUT!" he yelled suddenly banging against the door with his shoulder to knock it down. His heart drumming madly in anger and fear… but the wind only blew past him in a patronising giggle whispering,

"_Try harder Mordecai, you've nearly got it!"_

"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!" He roared in fury, banging harder and harder in rage but just shrunk down beside the door in pain, his voice whimpering in agony from the hurt inflicted on his upper arm.

"_Giving up already?"_

"You're only doing this to get at ME!" he yelled slamming one more fist against the wood in rage and grabbed his eyes, feeling unwanted tears wetting his feathers.

"_weak… little… creature… that's all you ever saw in me and now that's all you are."_

Mordecai blocked his ears, ignoring the taunts, ignoring that voice that spread through every inch of the room and tried to penetrate him… make him nothing.

But what was he doing… just sitting there, LETTING Rigby get away with this! With everything!

His watery eyes stared up as the moon shined in through the glass, reflecting shadows off him and his heart stopped realising… the window…

He got up, running towards it in determination and broke through- shards of glass shattering all around him as he tumbled down the roof, clutching hold of the gutter hard before falling off the roof, and just dropped himself to the ground, the wind only cooing whispering.

"_Very clever."_

"This isn't you!" he yelled back- not wanting to hear anything from Rigby's sinister voice "AND YOU'RE NOT HURTING HER!"

"_I would never hurt the one I love…"_

He grated his teeth in anger, trying to not listen to that voice that was so detached from reality- so not even real and he ran towards the woods where Margaret had gone, not knowing what would happen, not even knowing if he was awake or still in a dream. Dreams never were this vivid, were this real. And hate was never as strong as what it was right now.

The grass seemed to sway around him as he ran. It twisted and turned into knots trying to trip him over but Mordecai only jumped over them, still running with all his might.

He caught his breath quickly as he halted finally before the dark winding trees of the forest, the leaves rustling a chuckle calmly out…

Rigby's voice chuckled all across the windy land, blowing past Mordecai's stilted body, the laughter getting louder, cruelly- faster- higher-

"No…" Mordecai said quietly… not afraid of this sound. It wasn't Rigby… it almost sounded mechanically… an empty robot of his former friend and he tore into the trees not waiting to hear more-

Branches suddenly started swinging at him, one hitting him in the gut

"Ahh!" He yelped, crouching quickly over from the pain, but only glared up into the forest- and ran.

Blue darkness filled every sight… chuckling filled every sound. The trees all the same- surrounding him.

He looked about hastily, searching for that girl- that voice laughing at him as he ducked and rolled and jumped over branches and the grass, desperate and terrified.

"_Tut tut…" _Rigby's voice said slowly as Mordecai bent forward panting in tire, but the bird glared around him, listening to that voice blowing through his ears-

"_You'll never find her Mordecai…_"

It blew from the south,

"_But you don't really want her…"_

Mordecai stood up steadily… trying to listen to his instinct…

This was nature.

He was an animal.

He was nature.

He started running again, following the direction the voice had blown from.

The wind chuckled,

"_Going the wrong way Mordecai_…"

He shut his eyes… listening to the sound… listening to his instinct… feeling a chest breathing calmly up and down… a sleeping breath.

_Margaret_.

He followed on blindly into the dark, his eyes shut tight listening… the breathing getting closer… he reached his hand forward to guide him.

Breathing going softly in… and out.

In… and out.

She was so closed.

So

Close-

He could hear her right in front of him-

His hand reaching forward and touched…

Bark…?

He opened his eyes… in front of him stood a large oak tree. He went around it cautiously but there was nothing in sight other than more trees… yet he could still hear her.

His eyes slowly widened with realisation…

He pressed his ear to the bark and heard the breathing… from within.

"Found her,"

Mordecai twisted around- almost pulled by the wind and there in plain sight stood Rigby… walking coolly towards him with a dark grin.

"Rigby…"

"Yes, Rigby!" he said fast with a snap "Rigby… your _sad PATHETIC _friend."

"You're no friend of mine…" he whispered back dangerously.

"Oh, I'm SOOO upset…" he replied sarcastically pretending to cry "Though you never did see me as a friend, _did _YOU!"

Mordecai didn't understand this… why he was saying this…? And those eyes were as black as marble.

"Why…?" he uttered slowly… not knowing what else to say… to this creature that was disguised as his friend "Why are you doing this?"

"She's what's holding us apart, Mordecai…" Rigby replied back spitefully and Mordecai could suddenly hear a slight choking from within the tree- his eyes widened.

"STOP IT!"

"Or what?" Rigby replied angrily… "You think you can stop me…? What can you do…? I am _force… I am everything_"

"No… you're not."

"Oh aren't I…" Rigby said cunningly with a grin and held out his hand as if displaying himself.

"Then how did I make her come here" he said"… get you here… freeze time… control everyone and _everything?_"

"It's all pretend." Mordecai said barely and the coon only chuckled shaking his head,

"Pretend… this is all pretend?"

"Yes…"

"Do you not see what I've done?" Rigby said astounded at this ignorance "Brought her here… in cased her in a tree."

"It's not her."

"Not HER?" he replied angry now at this "Than who is it."

"Rigby…"

"OH! So it's Rigby who's trapped in the tree… it's RIGBY who is in trouble."

"Yes…" he whispered.

"What is WRONG with you!" the raccoon yelled in fury and the words smashed into Mordecai… slamming him back against the tree, "You are an idiot! Thinking just by pretending Rigby's in there means he is!"

"That has to be him in there… because I don't know what the fuck I'm looking at right now."

The coon stilted… staring at him confused as he muttered in a familiar voice,

"What did you say…?"

"You're not Rigby!"

"Then what am I?"

"Pretend."

"I…am NOT…_PRETEND."_

Mordecai stood up… the wind trying to pull him against the tree… Rigby's fur and ears staying still… not moving in the air.

This… was the truth…

"You are not him… you're just… air?"

"I am MORE than just _**AIR!**_"

"But that's all you are…" Mordecai said… and he had to force himself to laugh… though his heart was near to breaking… realisation dawning on him. He started to walk towards the coon, who stepped away quickly.

"I will kill her!"

"With what?"

The coon stumbled back… Mordecai walking closer.

"You will not h-hurt me!" Rigby stuttered walking further back "I am FORCE! I AM RIGBY!"

"You were Rigby."

"I have a body!"

"No… you don't." Mordecai said calmly, knowing-

And suddenly swooped his wing at Rigby,

He felt freezing air as his wing just went through the raccoon's body.

Mordecai looked down into those black eyes… the lost that was in them as they flashed to white- showing Rigby's true eyes for a second… the terror that was in them.

"Rigby… fight this." Mordecai said with a slow begging voice… "Fight what's happening to you."

"Why f-fight-" the coon whispered in fury "POWER!"

"You're nothing… you are turning into nothing!"

"N-no!" the cunning voice suddenly yelled back through Rigby in terror touching itself quickly, "I have a body! I'm real! I EXIST!"

The trees suddenly creaked. They cracked dramatically up their trunks, branches snapping down… as the wind gushed frantically through the coon's body.

"Rigby!" Mordecai yelled as he saw fur flying off the creature before him that pulled at itself, its fingers beginning to bleed red blood… its body ripping as air gusted through it.

"I'M REAL! I'M _REAL!"_ it shrieked as it stumbled in terror_ " I HAVE A __**BODY!"**_

"You're killing him…" Mordecai whispered… horror in his eyes as he stared at the dissolving body that stumbled around, screaming as its finger tips tore showing bone.

"Rigby… come back."

The eyes flashed again white as a voice cried…

"Help… me!"

"How?" he begged trying to grab Rigby but his hands just swung through him… the touch of freezing air.

He was there yet he was air… not able to be touched…

His air was so cold… almost ice, but it was the only thing that he could feel.

The raccoon halted as it shrieked in agony… blood spurting through gashes in it's flesh as the cold wind tried to break loose and Mordecai stuck his hands through him… his hands becoming frozen.

…_I didn't know…_

Mordecai stared at Rigby's tearing body… hearing that voice go into him through his hands as he touched the coon's empty inside.

It was Rigby… the real Rigby that was stuck inside this breaking apart body that the force had tried to take.

"Rigby…don't give up…" Mordecai said nearly crying knowing his words wouldn't stop this… knowing that he was useless.

_I didn't know why I said yes… _that voice replied back quietly… sad and confused… but knowing all what he done,

_he said you would go… leave me…_

"I would never l-leave you," Mordecai cried weakly back,

_That I would be all alone… but… you're here right now… and I know I'm going away… yet I-I… s-still find it the hardest thing to say…_

The voice was gasping in fear… to say what he had wanted to say for so long,

"J-just tell me," Mordecai said… tears falling on the ground as he stared at the dissolving body. That was nearly gone…

…_I love you…_

"I…" Mordecai slowly closed his eyes… water streaming down his cheeks softly as he whispered "I know… I" he quaked "I…always… knew."

The air grew warm that moment in time, warming his hands that had been frozen and… he slowly opened his eyes to see there was nothing in front of him… there was no one there anymore.

"Rigby…" he whispered "I…" he swallowed… there was no one there… "I love you too."

He knelt there on his knees, his face wet and his body cold… his friend gone... disipetated into the wind.

He felt a slight warmth come softly over him as he felt the sun start to rise, it's light beaming through the forest trees, slowly in the south,

A new day coming into the old.

He didn't know how long he knelt there for. How much time went by? The grass swayed slightly against his legs… the forest slowly brightened as the sunlight spread across the dead land.

But he had to still remember… that out of all things that were left… she was still there.

He walked quietly over to the tree… seeing a pink robin in a night gown laying in front of it in slumber.

He felt numbness at that moment… seeing the smile on her lips as he bent down and softly shook her, the girl stirring slightly before opening her eyes and seeing him.

"Mordecai," she said with a happy sleepy voice but after a minute seemed to realise something, where she was and shot up frightened, looking across the forest in shock

"W-where am I?"

"In the park's forest…" he replied quietly "You were sleepwalking."

"No… how-?"

"I saw you through my window…"

"I walked all the way out here…?" she said astonished and he got up, giving her a hand.

"Yes."

"But…"

"Some people do crazy things when they're unconscious,"

"No kidding," she chuckled confused, and looked around slowly. This was the most bizarre week she had ever had… but luckily it was a Sunday… she didn't have to face work.

"Come on," Mordecai said quietly, leading her along as they walked past the silent dark trees in the direction of the house and said in pain "Do you want some coffee or something?"

"Thanks…" she said with a still dazed smile… "I'd like something to calm my nerves,"

He didn't say anything… just nodded his head,

Only one person on his mind.

XXXXX

"Thanks,"

Margaret took the mug off of the silent Mordecai with a kind smile of her face and he only nodded… going motionlessly back over to the kettle as he poured himself a cup.

"I can't believe I walked all the way out here…" she continued with a grin "I guess it makes sense, I had the craziest dream."

"Yeah…" the jay muttered, his eyes closed as he faced towards the kitchen window… not letting her see the tears in his eyes.

"Yeah, I dreamt that I was running away from, it's so silly," she giggled "I dreamt I was running away from a giant gorilla that kept trying to sell me stolen computer parts."

"Okay."

"Wow, you really aren't a morning person…"

"I'm…" Mordecai said quietly as he turned around wiping away his tears "I'm sorry."

"No need to cry about it…" she said with a small chuckle to lighten the mood, "I guess Rigby's still in bed?"

Mordecai's heart froze… he closed his eyes and shook his head "No… he's not in bed… he's gone."

"Gone..?" she said not understanding "back home you mean…?"

No matter who he told of what happened it didn't matter… the truth was too unreal and a lie was all that would be believed.

He smiled with the lie-"Yeah. He just left last night."

"Wow… was he unhappy here?"

"No." he said "He left because I wouldn't listen to him… wouldn't-" he stopped himself before he said anything more and Margaret looked at him quietly.

"Oh… okay…" she got up slowly and put her hand gently on his shoulder with a small smile "He'll be back though."

"Yeah…" he replied and turned around to face that beautiful bird… the girl of his dreams… but didn't feel anything looking into her eyes and muttered,

"You know Margaret… I really like you… but I've always been too afraid to tell you."

"You do…?" she said slowly, a little surprised by this "Thank you… but…"

"It doesn't matter how you feel about me." He said closing his eyes "I just thought you ought to know one day… and today…"

"Is a beautiful day," she said softly.

He looked up at her as she slowly leaned forward and she kissed him ever so gently on his lips before pulling back and saying,

"Thanks for the coffee."

"Anytime…" he whispered "And it's free here."

She giggled as she patted him on the arm and walked over to her cup, taking another gulp of the cooled down mug before placing it on the table and saying, "I think I should get going."

He nodded slowly… his eyes watery as he led her out to the front door and she opened it, walked out… and on into the blinding horizon.

He leaned against the door frame watching her go… his heart beating in silence.

Wind blew past him… past his feathers and ears and a happy familiar laugh was all he longed to hear in it.

And maybe… he did,


End file.
